Broken and Beloved
by Tohdoh
Summary: After a car accident that killed her parents and robbed her all feeling and usefulness of her legs, Elsa is now in a wheelchair. Trying to look after Anna and confronting problems in college, she feels broken in body and spirit. Jack might just be the one to lift her up, even if she could never walk again. [Modern AU]
1. Meeting Elsa

**Cover cred goes to n-a-blue-box on Tumblr.**

**The story of "Broken and Beloved" was inspired by 2 things: The Fault In Our Stars trailer, and "Mirror Mirror": a romantic Vietnamese-English song by Thanh Bui. The song's about a guy recognizing a girl's inner beauty, and asking the mirror to reassure the girl that she is the fairest in his eyes.**

**Speaking of songs, I compiled a "Broken and Beloved" playlist you can listen to while you read:**

**Miracles in December (十二月的奇迹) by EXO-M  
****Mirror Mirror by Thanh Bui  
****A Thousand Years by Christina Perri  
****All of Me by John Legend  
****Fate (****인연)** **by Lee Sun Hee  
I Just Called To Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder  
****L'inverno (Winter) by Antonio Vivaldi  
****Let It Go and L'inverno mashup by ThePianoGuys  
You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban**

**I hope you enjoy the story.**

* * *

**Broken and Beloved (1)  
****Meeting Elsa**

Jack Frost strolled out of the building, his tool box and drawing board in hand. He could still smell the fresh soap from his hands, spotless and washed clean after three hours of working with dusty charcoal and pastels. The funky smell of ArtGum erasers was gone, too.

The overcast sky, typical Philadelphia weather, didn't dampen his elated spirit.

'I got a lot done in class,' he thought proudly to himself. 'I think my midterm project's gonna be done soon. I'm calling it a day.' He fought back a yawn. 'Hitting a nap in my dorm sounds good right now. I hope North's still out...I can barely get any sleep with him around.'

To avoid the stream of students leaving class, Jack took a well-hidden shortcut and headed for the dorms. The art college he attended was very small and didn't have housing of its own. Students from his school had to share rooms with those from a bigger university.

Suddenly he heard a low, sinister voice. One that sent chills running down his spine. "Highest GPA in the class? Too bad you aren't mentally disabled."

Jack stopped in his tracks and whirled around. He couldn't see who said that, and it wasn't directed at him. But he really didn't like the sound of that. Curiosity overwhelmed his desire to head home. Jack weaved through the maze of pavements between the building complex. He craned his neck and peered through a fence to finally see where the voice was coming from.

A tall, shadowy horse confronted a strikingly beautiful young woman sitting in a wheelchair. Jack blinked hard and rubbed his eyes. Was he imagining things?

"Maybe if I struck you in the head, you'd have a useless brain to go along with those useless legs. You wouldn't even remember I hit you."

Jack stared on with disbelief. The horse _talked_.

The young woman's voice was soft and calm, but Jack could see she was doing her best to hide her fear. "I never tell anyone about my GPA. How did you know, Pitch?"

Jack furrowed his brow; she talked as if she had seen the horse before. Or knew it.

The horse curled its lip. "Everyone knows, anyway. All the professors adore you, and it makes me sick."

"Please leave me alone. I haven't done anything to you."

The horse loomed over her like a menacing shadow. "Oh, you've done things, all right. Just seeing you in class makes me want to hurt you."

"Go away. I'm not afraid."

"You're a poor liar. I see you trembling in your chair. You're afraid, and you know it. These Nightmares are an extension of my powers, and they feed off your fear. You'll never have proof that I've ever done anything to you. Quite frightening, isn't it?"

Then what happened next made Jack gape in pure horror. The horse reared and lashed its legs, throwing the young woman out of her chair to hit the concrete. She landed heavily on her back, the chair following suit to crush her lower body. She let out a terrible wail of pain.

That was it. Jack dropped everything and stormed over.

She curled on the ground, her limp legs splayed in odd angles as she sobbed and cried in agony.

The horse threw its head back and made a cruel laugh. "Why are you crying?" it taunted. "I thought you couldn't feel anything down there."

"_Hey!_" Jack shouted. "_What the hell are you doing?_ Leave her alone!"

Startled, the shadowy horse whipped around to see him. Its yellow eyes glowed with a malevolent gleam. "None of your business, boy. Better scram before you join her."

Jack's voice dripped with sarcasm and scorn. "You must think you're so tough...bullying and hurting a disabled person like that. You disgust me."

With a whipping flourish of his hand, Jack made his staff materialize in thin air. He brandished it with a threatening gesture. "Don't even think about messing with me. This staff packs quite a punch." To prove his point, he twirled it so fast in his hand that it seemed to whip the very air. "I'd love to whip your ass, but that would make me no better than you."

He wouldn't hesitate to protect the poor, fallen woman. But he'd rather not resort to his control of ice and snow. Only his close friends knew about his power, and he wasn't keen on making it public.

Jack lowered his voice to a growl. "Get the hell out of here. _Now_."

The Nightmare pawed the ground and lowered its head. Jack tensed, preparing for the worst. Then it backed away and vanished in a swirl of black wisps. Jack lowered his staff in surprise.

"Th-thank you..." The woman's pained whisper made him look down. Her clothes were stained with dirt and her blonde hair had fallen out of its tight bun. His heart went out for her. He quickly tucked his staff behind his back and made it vanish.

"Can you get back in your chair?" he asked.

She bit her lip. "I'll try."

Jack slipped her arm over his shoulder, and with his other arm he scooped her from the ground.

She began to breathe heavily as the pain showed no signs of subsiding. Her voice came out weak and tremoring with panic. "I don't think my medication will be enough. I need to go to the rehab clinic."

Jack was quick to reply. "I'll take you. My car isn't far from here."

His nap would have to wait. This young woman needed his help. He would have to be a complete heartless idiot to just leave her here.

Doubt flickered in her blue eyes, but it disappeared as she nodded. She felt uneasy about going into a stranger's car. But where else could she go?

Jack wheeled her through the maze of pavements, picking up his box and drawing board along the way. Trying to move as quickly and carefully as he could, Jack carried her from the wheelchair and into the passenger seat of his car. He strapped her in and dashed to his truck to stash both his school stuff and her folded wheelchair.

"What's your name? I'm Jack Frost."

"Elsa Arendal."

"Okay, Elsa...tell me where I need to go."

Jack punched in the letters and numbers of the address on the GPS as Elsa had instructed. He stepped on the gas as soon as their route was plotted.

Jack tried to take her mind off the pain as he drove. "So, um...where do you go to school? I'm a freshman at PAFA—Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Drawing major."

Elsa winced as the car drove over a road bump. "Junior at University of Pennsylvania. Architecture."

He whistled between his teeth. "Whoa. Ivy League, huh? You must be really smart."

"I'm all right," she replied modestly.

"No, you're brainy for sure. I'm not a straight-A student, but I fly by okay and I like what I'm doing."

Hearing Elsa mention architecture as her field of study intrigued him. He was going to ask her more, but she bit her lip and scrunched her eyes as another wave of pain came. A whimper escaped through her gritted teeth.

"We're almost there. You're gonna be fine, Elsa." He would've reached out to touch her shoulder if he wasn't in such a hurry to rush to the clinic. He never parked in a handicap spot before. He was grateful for its easy access and close proximity to the building. Then again, it was a rehab clinic—more than half of the parking lot was designated for handicaps.

"Get me Dr. Gerda," Elsa managed to say as he rushed her in.

He nodded. "Dr. Gerda. Got it."

Even after Jack checked at the counter, asked for Dr. Gerda and reserved an appointment for Elsa, his heart still pounded madly in his chest and he could barely breathe.

'I hope it isn't anything serious.' He remembered how fragile her legs looked. 'What if she broke something?' Cold dread washed over him.

He was dizzy with relief when Dr. Gerda, a slender and kind-looking middle-aged woman, came in to check on Elsa.

"I'm sorry, young man. I appreciate you bringing her here, but I must have you wait outside."

He nodded. "Of course. I understand." It didn't help put his anxiety at ease, though. He rocked in his chair at the waiting room, hoping fervently that Elsa would be okay. Jack's eyes scanned the room. Many people in his company were either in wheelchairs or had artificial limbs. None of them looked terribly strong. They all looked so vulnerable, just like Elsa. He realized that she was one of the few young patients in the clinic.

Meanwhile, Gerda shut the door to inspect Elsa. She asked her to relate the incident, particularly how she fell. Elsa suppressed a shiver as she tried to recall every detail. She didn't mention the Nightmare or Jack's intervention. Then Gerda had her pull back her long skirt and lift her shirt to check for any injuries. Gerda had been her physician since she became a paraplegic. Elsa never felt uneasy around her.

The doctor tenderly prodded at Elsa's skin with outstretched hands and soft fingers, noting the mottled bruises on her slender, pale legs. Elsa's face pulled into a grimace as Gerda felt around her waist.

"How bad is the pain?"

"Fairly sharp," Elsa replied with a wince.

"You're very lucky, my dear," Dr. Gerda finally said. "You haven't broken any bones, but a fall like that could've easily resulted in some fractures."

A shuddering sigh of relief escaped through Elsa's lips.

"You have cuts on your arms, but bandages will do the job. The worst you have are bruises around your hip and tailbone areas. They'll need an ice pack over them for a while."

"I'll take care of that myself," Elsa said softly.

Gerda nodded, as if remembering what she meant. The doctor was one of very few people who knew about Elsa's unusual abilities.

"What do you suggest I do next?" Elsa asked as Dr. Gerda placed bandages on her arms.

"Keep up with the medications Dr. Kai had prescribed, first and foremost. Have you been taking them? Do they help?"

"Yes, very much."

"Good. Exercise your upper body regularly, but don't strain yourself. You can't feel the pain in your legs, so you'll have to often check by sight if you develop any infections or further bruising."

Elsa made a weary nod before resting her head on the top of the wheelchair. "Will do, Dr. Gerda." She felt thin ice spread throughout her wounds. It dampened the fabric of her clothes, but she didn't mind; they would dry eventually. With most of the pain gone, Elsa let an easy smile spread across her face. "I came here worried about broken bones. But with that not the case, I think I can go home now."

Dr. Gerda put a hand on her shoulder. "I suggest you stay here a little longer. Take it easy and get some rest, dear."

She was halfway through the door when Elsa spoke up on a whim. "Could you have Jack come in? I'd like some company."

Jack sprang to his feet as soon as Dr. Gerda walked into the waiting room and called him over. He came to see Elsa as fast as he could without looking too flustered and panicked.

"Hey, Elsa. What did she say? Are you gonna be all right?"

She stared down at her fists balled in her lap. "Yeah, I'll be fine. A couple of cuts and bruises...nothing serious."

She sat still, closed her eyes and let the ice work its cool, soothing effects on her wounds. She and Jack said nothing for a while. The room was quite cold, even colder than its usual chill. But neither of them minded it.

Jack was first to break the silence. "...Were you always in a wheelchair, Elsa?" And just as he said that, he mentally kicked himself. 'Idiot! You're not supposed to ask her something so personal! If she kicks me out of the room, I'm only getting what I deserve...'

Elsa opened her eyes, taking on a melancholic look rather than being offended. "No...I've been a paraplegic for three years now. I was eighteen when it happened. My family was invited to a wedding..." Her voice lowered to a whisper, soft and thick with sorrowful reminiscence. "It was dark and rainy outside. A drunk driver ran right into us. Whoever he was, he took the lives of my parents...and my ability to walk."

Elsa gripped the fabric of her skirt, balling it under her clammy hands. "The impact gave me a spinal cord injury. I was paralyzed from the waist down. Orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons...none of them could do anything about it. I lost a lot of blood. Most of my internal organs were a ruptured, bleeding mess. I fell into a coma that lasted weeks. And somehow...I still lived. I woke up to seeing Anna, the only family I had left. My younger sister. Eighteen years old now...same age as you, Jack. I protected her during the accident. I took most of the hit for her."

Elsa swallowed hard. "I...I'd rather live with useless legs for the rest of my life than see my sister killed."

Jack's heart wrenched. Elsa's story moved him to tears, and he didn't cry often. He dashed a hand across his eyes. "Elsa, I'm so sorry..." He thought of what she last said. "I know how you feel..."

Just last year, he nearly died saving his little sister from falling under thin ice. They had been ice skating, but the ice on the lake was particular thin that winter. Jack took the fall instead. Hypothermia and the freezing water almost claimed his life. As terrible and frightening as it was, Jack would much rather have it happen to him instead of his sister.

"It's fine, Jack..." Elsa murmured. "Losing my legs was hard. It still is. I can't remember what it feels like to run, or kick, or even touch the cold floor after waking up early in the morning. But I learn to live with what I have left. Anna, the rest of me that still worked..."

Part of her felt grateful to have Jack close by her side. She didn't open up like this very often, especially about something that still hurt her after three years.

Elsa's phone rang in her purse. She gasped and fumbled for her phone. "Speaking of Anna, I totally forgot. She picks me up from campus every day."

She brought the phone to her ear. In the small and quiet space of the room, Jack could hear Anna's frantic, worried voice through the speaker.

"Elsa! I'm glad you finally picked up. I tried to call you like four or five times. I left messages, but you still didn't answer. I'm here at Penn but I don't see you. Where did you go?"

Elsa swallowed hard. "Don't panic, Anna. I'm okay, but I'm at the rehabilitation clinic right now."

She held the phone away as Anna's voice went shrill with shock and panic. "What!? Elsa, what happened? Did you get hurt? How did you even get to the clinic if you can't drive?"

Elsa winced. "Ssh, not so loud, Anna. I...I fell. A friend offered to take me. Dr. Gerda's been seeing me and she says I'll be fine."

Elsa could hear Anna scrambling to turn on the ignition of her car. "Okay...I'm on my way."

"I'm sorry, Anna. I should've told you earlier."

"No, no, you don't have to apolo-You idiot! At least turn on your signal before you cut me, moron!"

A smile broke out on Elsa's face. "I think I should hang up now. Eyes on the road, Anna." She bit her lip to hold back laughter, despite the seriousness of recent events.

"Good idea. I'll see you, then. Hang tight, sis."

Elsa hung up and was quiet for a while.

"You didn't tell her what really happened," Jack said softly.

"I can't." Elsa shut her eyes from an incoming headache. She pressed a hand to her temple and ran fingers through her pale blonde hair. "You have to understand. I'm twenty-one years old...I'm supposed to be her legal guardian, but I've only been a burden. I can hardly get things done at home without her help. If she finds out about me getting attacked, I won't hear the end of it. She'd make me want to transfer to Drexel University with her, but I love where I'm at right now."

"Even if you go to school harassed by that...thing? It called itself Pitch, right?"

Elsa sighed. "That was not Pitch. Only an extension of his dark magic. He speaks through it, but he isn't actually there. He can summon an indefinite number of them, but Onyx seems to be his favorite." She shook her head and looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry…you must think I'm crazy."

"No, I totally believe you," he assured her. "I know what I saw. Tell me more."

Elsa gave Jack a grateful look, though he could sense the frustration in her too. "I don't know much about Pitch Black myself. Only that he shares a few classes with me. Somehow he uses shadows...Nightmares...to haunt and harass me without even laying a finger on me himself. I keep my mouth shut because no one would believe anything I say about him." Her fists tightened at the chair's armrests. "I just...try to bear with it."

"You should go to another school, then."

Elsa shook her head stubbornly. "I'll manage. When I make a commitment, I stick to it. Leaving Penn will only make Pitch think I'm weak _and_ a coward for running away." Looking down at her legs, she realized what she just said and made a bitter laugh. "No...I'm staying, no matter what. I've got one more year until I graduate, anyway." She pinned Jack with a steady, pleading gaze. "When Anna comes over, please don't tell her what really happened. Promise me that."

He relented. "Fine. I promise."

She was going to ask him a question when she hesitated and kept silent. Had it been just her imagination? She had been on the ground, hurt and crying, but she thought she had seen Jack wield a staff out of nowhere. Elsa pushed it to the back of her mind. It was a question for another time, another place.

The intensity of her eyes softened. "You went out of your way to rescue me and take me to the clinic...thank you so much, Jack. How can I ever repay you?"

He rubbed the back of his white hair sheepishly. "I don't need anything. I'm just really glad you're going to be okay." He reached out to touch her hand. He expected her to flinch or recoil like most people, since he always had cold hands. But to his surprise he found that her skin felt just as cool as his. And she didn't pull away. Surprise flashed across Elsa's face at first, but she welcomed his touch.

Then Jack smiled. "Well, there is one thing. How about we be friends?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way." Her lack of hesitation surprised her. Truth be told, Elsa had always been reluctant to socialize and make friends. This was by far the longest time she ever interacted with someone outside her family. But after everything he did for her, she knew she could trust Jack.

"Since our campuses are so close together, we can see each other again sometime, right?"

She smiled. "Yes, we could."

Then Anna burst into the room unannounced, startling Jack and Elsa. She passed a hand through her strawberry-blonde hair to straighten tousled locks. "I came here as fast as I could!" she exclaimed. "You sure you're all right?"

Elsa laughed in an attempt to put her sister at ease. "Everything's fine, now. Dr. Gerda said I just needed to rest a bit before I go home."

"Take as much time as you need, Elsa." She turned to Jack, her eyes wide and intrigued. "Is this the friend you were talking about?"

He extended his hand. "I'm Jack Frost. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Anna, Elsa's younger sister. Pleased to meet you too!" Unlike Elsa, Anna's hand was quite warm as she heartily shook his hand. "Do you also go to Penn?"

"Me? Nah. I go to PAFA."

"Oh, the art school just around the corner. You're an artist, then. Elsa's an artist too! Except the stuff she does has a lot of math in it. It's something I'm not good at, unfortunately. You're looking at a sociology major!"

Jack grinned, both amused and a little overwhelmed by the way she talked. Anna was bright, chatty and energetic, the opposite of Elsa in many ways. Her face was generously dotted with freckles. Her cheeks were round from smiling a lot. She seemed like the kind of person to be all over the place. Elsa looked more like someone content with staying still and serene, even if she didn't have a wheelchair to confine her.

"Wow, your hair's so white," Anna said. Her eyes darted between Jack and her sister. "It's even whiter than Elsa's. You bleached it?"

"Yeah. You could say that." Of course, Jack wouldn't tell her how it really came to be that way.

They stayed for a few more minutes until they decided it was time to leave. Jack followed Anna as she wheeled Elsa out of the clinic. They parted ways in the parking lot.

"Thank you again, Jack," Elsa said. "I hope to see you soon."

"You're very welcome. Have a good night, you two."

The suite room was dark by the time Jack drove into campus. He unshouldered his stuff and crept in quietly; his roommates were likely asleep. He was about to go into his room when he heard loud grunting and bedsheets rustling.

"Oi, Jack...izzat you?"

"Hey, Bunny."

E. Aster Bunnymund, better known as Bunny, sat up from his bed and squinted as he flicked on the lights. A wily young man who grew up in Australia, Bunny sported wild hair dyed gray-blue and Aboriginal tribal tattoos all over his body. Like Jack, he too screamed art major.

Bunny stretched his long legs and patted his belly. "I was starving, so I had to eat dinner without you. Now I'm tryin' to sleep it off. Sorry, mate."

Jack waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Are North and Sandy in their room?"

"Yup. Sandy's dreamin' sweet dreams, as usual." Bunny's keen ears pricked, then he rolled his eyes. "And North's snoring loud enough to wake the whole bloomin' school."

"I heard that, Kangaroo." A gruff retort sounded from the other side.

Jack chuckled. "Hey, that's _my _name for him, North."

Like Bunny, North and Sandman were better known by their nicknames. They came into Jack and Bunny's room, sleepy-eyed yet curious.

North tousled Jack's hair affectionately. "Where were you, lad? You don't usually come home this late."

"Now you're sounding like my old man, old man."

North threw back his head and laughed. Unlike his college-age roommates, he was a man with much more years under his belt. He came to attend PAFA for a Master's degree after many years of backpacking and soul-searching around the globe. Underneath his craggy features, long beard and burly Russian physique, he had a young heart and a gentle soul.

Sandy smiled, but remained silent. He never spoke, but everyone respected his quiet and sage-like nature. He loved to daydream and create art from sand. It was only natural that he majored in sculpture as soon as he enrolled.

Bunny folded his tattoo-covered arms and eyed Jack curiously. "So, mate...are you gonna tell us what happened when you were away?"

Jack's eyes lit up as he thought of Elsa. She really left quite an impression on him. Her story, her beauty and enigmatic nature...He wouldn't be able to stop thinking of her for a long time.

"You're not gonna believe what kind of day I had."

* * *

**More Jelsa goodness coming soon!**

**No, I did not misspell Arendelle. The kingdom's name is based on a real-life Norwegian town called Arendal.**

**PAFA and Penn really do have a partnership in academics and housing. I have a best friend at PAFA who shares a dorm with Penn graduates.**

**Last but certainly not least: This fic is dedicated to my friend who had been bullied for his physical disabilities. Thankfully he's ok now. But a few years ago, he actually went through what happened to Elsa in this story. A bunch of jerks had upturned his wheelchair and made him fall. He got a lot of bruises and almost broke his arm. I wasn't there when it happened. But he told me his experience, and I'll never forget. Stories like that are what really stick with you. As a writer, I enjoy the challenge of giving life to fiction using real-life experiences.**


	2. Keeping In Touch

**Broken and Beloved (2)**

**Keeping In Touch**

Elsa worked late into the night as soon as she and Anna got home.

Both of them attended colleges not far from their house, so they commuted and saw no need to live in dorms.

Elsa's room was the epitome of expression without forsaking tidiness. Everything from her bed to the walls had varying shades of blue: her favorite color. Books for current pleasure reading on the nightstand was kept to her left, the wheelchair to her right. In addition to the shelves packed with books and magazines, Elsa had a number of small hand weights for casual exercise. Snowflake decorations of various forms and sizes adorned her shelves and walls, making her love for winter quite clear. Her room had no desk; she always did her schoolwork over an adjustable bed table. High on the shelves and almost out of sight were numerous figure skating awards. Bittersweet reminders of Elsa's endeavors before tragedy struck.

Elsa typed away on her laptop, working on the draft of her thesis paper. She ate from a cup of yogurt in slow spoonfuls as she pored over a thick book on Greek philosophy. Other books were spread open and littered all over her bed, some resting on her lap. Industrial design, applied physics, linear programming and art history were just a few things that filled her with passion and gave her preparation for a job.

Vivaldi's "Winter" played softly through her earbuds. She usually had her favorite song on repeat to give her inspiration while she worked. But Elsa couldn't make herself focus tonight. She muted the music on her phone, a worried frown tugging at the corners of her lips. Thoughts of Pitch, and how much bolder he had become in his attacks, greatly troubled her. A shiver ran down her spine. Most of it, anyway.

'How much longer can this go on? Will he stop at nothing to see me suffer? Will he finally stop once I break?'

She had to close her eyes and lean back against the copious amount of pillows propped in her bed. She took deep, slow breaths through her parted lips, immersing herself in comfort and trying to keep calm.

Ultimately, thinking of Jack helped her overcome the fear and anxiety taking root in her heart. Elsa smiled, remembering how quick and defensive he had been against the Nightmare. She never told anyone about Pitch, not even Anna. There was something undoubtedly intriguing about him…maybe even magical. It would be immensely gratifying to find that she and Pitch weren't the only "odd" ones out there.

"Elsa? You doing all right?"

Anna's voice brought her back. "Yeah, just busy as usual." Elsa leaned forward to type out a sentence she had left unfinished.

Anna came in with her pajamas, and a towel around her neck to dry her wet hair. She wished she had the discipline to keep her own floor as bare and spotless as Elsa's. Not that Elsa really had a choice in that, anyway. She'd have a hard time moving her chair through knick-knacks strewn all over the floor. Which was why Anna's room was practically off-limits to Elsa.

If she wanted to call Anna for anything she had to stay at the threshold, like standing behind yellow tape blocking a crime scene.

Anna gently massaged her sister's shoulders. "Had a rough day, huh?"

Elsa nodded, but didn't elaborate. She flashed Anna a little grateful smile.

Anna peered over Elsa's shoulder to look at she had been reading. "'Music of the Spheres?' What does that have to do with architecture?"

"It has a lot to do with it. You know Pythagoras?"

"Uh...he's the guy who came up with some rule about right triangles...?"

"Well, he came up with a lot of other theories too. The Music of the Spheres is one of them." Elsa paused to collect herself before explaining further: "It's a classical Greek concept that postulates an ancient model of the universe, attempting to explain the 'essence' of harmony and proportions. The heavenly bodies, or planets, are said to 'make music' when they revolve in perfect orbits and within perfect distance from each other. This idea applies to a lot of things: intervals in music, the golden ratio in math and art." A smile spread on Elsa's face. "I could go on and on about how it applies to the geometry and structure in architecture. I'm trying to write a paper on why conformity to order and beauty is important, especially in this age of postmodernism. Mentioning the Music of the Spheres is just one point in my argument."

Elsa looked up to see her sister's eyes glazed over in mixed awe and incomprehension. Anna ended her unofficial massage session with a fond pat on Elsa's back. "And that's why you're at Penn."

That made Elsa chuckle. Anna was far from stupid, but she wasn't the studious or bookish type like her sister. Anna made her way out of the bedroom, but not before kissing her sister goodnight and taking her finished cup of yogurt to throw away.

Anna turned at the door. "Get some sleep tonight, okay? It's getting late. The paper can wait, and I'm sure you'll ace it."

Elsa returned her fond smile. "Thanks. Good night, Anna." She closed her laptop and pulled the blankets up to her chin, but she did not turn off the light. For most people, darkness lulled them to sleep. But it only made Elsa think of Pitch, his power and his threats. She couldn't get any rest thinking of that. She didn't fear the dark itself, only what it represented. Since coming to college and on the day she met Pitch, he made it no secret what he could do to make her life a living nightmare.

She used to think that bullies were a thing of grade schools, high schools, but certainly not college. She had done nothing to justify Pitch's malice and envy. Why her? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? These questions frustrated her to no end, and often kept her up at night.

Pitch and his Nightmares pursued her even in her dreams. _Especially_ in her dreams. When she wasn't having terrible recollections of the accident, she ran through an endless tunnel in vain to escape the shadows that clawed at her. Her legs would always fail, becoming useless flesh that dragged her down.

Elsa thought she was going to drown in her own nightmare when a pair of strong arms pulled her up.

"Jack!" she gasped.

In the overwhelming blackness, and perhaps looking through eyes blurred with her tears, his white hair and gentle smile seemed to glow. "Come on, Elsa," he murmured. "You can do it."

She shook her head in despair. "No, I can't. They always get me. I can't outrun them."

"Don't worry. I'll carry you."

She felt safe in his arms, and Elsa slipped into a deep sleep surrounded by light rather than darkness.

* * *

No one had nodded off to sleep while Jack shared his story. Sandy in particular looked quite disturbed when Jack mentioned Pitch Black. But their squat, sand-haired friend quickly recovered and beckoned Jack to continue talking about Elsa.

When Jack finished, Bunny waggled an eyebrow. "You got her number, mate?"

The young man hesitated, then he flushed with embarrassment. "I...I totally forgot to ask her," he sputtered.

North chuckled. "No worries, lad...just talk to Tooth. She takes some classes at Penn. Maybe she can find Elsa for you."

Jack brightened. "Good idea."

Tooth was one of the few to take the coordinated Bachelor of Fine Arts program, which combined studio art training at PAFA with a liberal arts education at the University of Pennsylvania. There was a good chance that Tooth could run into Elsa somewhere on campus.

Jack stretched out on his bed and yawned. "I'm gonna call Tooth first thing in the morning. Maybe Elsa and I can go out for lunch. Get to know each other better."

He heard Bunny call out in a childish, singsong voice in the dark: "Ooooh, Jack's got a daaaate."

"…Can it, Kangaroo."

* * *

Few things were better than waking up to Anna's home-made breakfast in the morning.

Elsa heard the sizzling pan and Anna moving about in the kitchen. Her younger sister was singing while she cooked, probably something for Glee Club. Elsa wished she could help Anna make breakfast, but she and her chair would just get in the way. Elsa winced as she gripped the bedsheets and tried to sit up. The cuts on her arms still stung. Or was it the bandages? Dr. Gerda may have put them on to the point they were too tight and pulled on her skin.

Elsa pulled back the blankets to take a peek at her bare legs. Large purple bruises dotted her skin like blots of Chinese ink. But they looked the same as last time in the clinic. Elsa spread a hand over her calf, her palm brushing the top of a particularly large bruise. She tensed, then squeezed her leg as hard as she possibly could. Nothing. She felt absolutely nothing. It was strange, being cut off from pain below her waist.

Since Elsa started using a wheelchair, she and Anna never really ate at the dinner table anymore. Anna would bring her breakfast in bed and pull up a chair to keep her sister company.

Elsa stared at her plate, then back up at Anna with a small, crooked grin. "I think we're forgetting something..."

Anna's eyes flew wide as she remembered. "Oh, sorry. How could I forget? You always drink milk."

Just as Elsa had yogurt by night, she had milk by morning. She needed the calcium, especially when the bones in her legs were unused and weak. Anna rushed to the kitchen, and in half a minute returned with a glass of chocolate milk: mixed with a generous amount of chocolate syrup, just the way her sister liked it.

"Thanks," Elsa said. "Maybe you forget sometimes because you don't like milk."

Anna wrinkled her nose a little as she watched Elsa tip the cup to her lips. "How do you drink that cow juice every day? Even with syrup, the taste just doesn't do it for me."

Elsa shrugged. "It's good for you." She smiled at Anna saying 'cow juice.' Her younger sister had been sticking with that label since she was five. Some things never change.

Anna shook her head. "No tea and milk for me. Soda and coffee are what get me going."

"No wonder why you can never sit still," Elsa teased. "Make sure you drink plenty of water to cancel out all the sugar you're putting in your body."

"Okay, Dr. Elsa. You sure you still want to do architecture? With your brains and constant loving reminders, might as well get an MD while you're at it."

Elsa shook her head with a smile. "No medical school for me."

Within the subject of vague medical-related talk, Anna remembered Jack from the clinic last night. "That guy, Jack Frost...he's pretty cute, don't you think?"

Elsa heard the slyness in her sister's voice beneath poorly attempted nonchalance. She checked her watch. "I think we should get going."

"Avoiding the subject, are we?"

Elsa grinned and gently pushed away her sister's nudging elbow. "No really, Anna. We're almost running late."

"_Almost_, Elsa?" Anna laughed. "Don't get your panties all up in a bunch. We have time."

Anna always dropped Elsa off before driving to her own school. While Elsa had class in the morning, Anna didn't have class until noon. Considering the fact that Anna slept like the dead, Elsa admired her sister's discipline to get up in the morning to take care of her needs.

Unlike most college students, they never had problems with finding space in the parking lot. Elsa didn't have her own car, and Anna took full advantage of the handicap spots. After waving goodbye to her sister, Elsa wheeled herself over to her first class.

* * *

Jack had dreamed of Elsa that night. He felt he could just lose himself in the depth of her eyes, the soothing feel of her skin. She felt so warm...wait, what? Elsa, warm? That was not how he remembered her at all. His eyes fluttered open. The warmth came from sunlight streaming through his window. He jolted awake.

"Crap! I overslept!" Jack kicked back the blankets and grabbed his phone from the nightstand.

In his haste to get the phone he accidentally yanked out the charger. It fell to the wooden floor with a loud thump, making Bunny jerk in his bed and turn over on his side.

"I don't need no girls when I got carrots," he slurred in his sleep. "They're the best. Jus' the best. Y'know what I'm sayin', mate?"

Jack rolled his eyes. Bunny's painting class wasn't until later in the morning. Jack wasn't so lucky. He threw on his blue hoodie. His legs kicked in a little dance as he pulled brown pants over his boxers. He didn't stop to brush his messy hair; there was no need. Grabbing his backpack and art supplies, he practically flew out the door in a mad dash to get to class. While Jack ran he held the phone to his ear. He knew for sure he could get in touch with Tooth; she had an early class too. To his relief he heard her cheerful voice through the speaker. "Morning, Jack. What's up?"

"Hey Tooth. Could you do me a huge favor? There's this girl I met yesterday-"

"Ooooh, a girl?"

Jack laughed. "Stop it, Tooth. You sound like Bunny. Anyways…it's a long story. I'll tell you later. She goes to Penn, so I figured you could find her on campus. She majors in architecture; look around the liberal arts or science buildings, I guess. I forgot to get her number. Could you ask her for me?"

"Um, sure. Who is she? What does she look like?"

"Her name's Elsa Arendal. Gorgeous blonde girl in a wheelchair. Can't miss her."

Tooth laughed. "I'll definitely keep an eye out."

Jack hung up, keeping his fingers crossed that Tooth could find Elsa sometime during the day. Preferably before lunchtime.

* * *

Elsa sat in class, listening and taking notes while doing her best to mask her annoyance.

She loved school, she really did. But of all the classes she had so far, this had to be her least favorite. Due to the accident three years ago, months of recovering in the hospital and rehab during her freshman year made her miss some core classes. She had to take them later, in addition to upper-level classes and electives she had now. The problem wasn't being the only junior among freshmen. It was the instructor: Dr. Weselton. To Elsa, his political science class was a necessary evil to be endured in order to graduate.

His nickname was the Duke of Weselton, because of his pompous nature and the fact he earned his Ph. D from Duke University. But sometimes Elsa wondered if he really did go to Duke. From what she had been hearing on campus, she wasn't alone in this speculation. A more common nickname for him was Dr. Weasel Town. Elsa wouldn't be surprised if he did in fact weasel his way up the ladder of academia.

"Today I'm passing back your graded essays," Dr. Weselton declared. "Starting with students in the front row. Come on, hurry up."

His snappy voice always reminded Elsa of a small, angry dog. Students would fill most of the class by the time Elsa showed up, so she often sat at the back row. Dr. Weselton made a show of tapping his foot impatiently as Elsa finally worked her way up to the front.

He seemed to take glee in looking down on someone shorter than him for a change. It would be different if Elsa could stand. She really didn't like his condescending glare, as if she shouldn't be capable of intelligence. That was one of the few things Elsa hated about being wheelchair-bound: being treated as if she was mentally deficient. Thankfully, in a college environment, indignity or anger at such treatment didn't arise in her too often. But Dr. Weselton seemed quite capable of pushing her buttons.

There were some days when she just wanted to ice him over. But not today; at least he wasn't stupid enough to flunk her for no reason. Elsa looked with amusement at the small, almost unreadable A on her paper, as if he was loath to admit it.

Dr. Weselton droned on about an upcoming exam for a few more minutes, then it was time to go. Elsa would've politely waited to let the freshmen leave class. But when it came to Weselton, she wanted to be the first one out.

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the worst was over. Her next class was a considerable distance away. She stopped at the quad, the midway point, to rest her aching arms.

Then a light tap on the shoulder startled her. She jerked her head round to see a petite young woman dressed in brightly colored clothes. Her spiked hair was dyed in streaks of bright green and pink, though Elsa assumed from her ethnic descent that it must be naturally black.

"Excuse me, are you Elsa Arendal?" the young woman asked.

Elsa tried to recover from her surprise. "Y-yes, I am."

"I thought so. Jack told me about you. You're so beautiful!"

From Elsa's experience, that kind of remark usually came off as one of politeness and pity. But she could tell that this was genuine. Her pale cheeks flushed at the compliment.

"Thank you...and who might you be?"

The young woman made a wry chuckle. "I could tell you my real name, but you might just hurt yourself from trying to say it. My parents, and Thai people in general, just love long names. I used to want to be a dentist, and all my friends say I'm like a pixie. So I guess I'm a sort of tooth fairy. You can just call me Tooth…everyone does."

Elsa quickly grew fond of her. She _did_ remind her of a tooth fairy. "How do you know Jack?"

"We have some art classes together, but we go back through high school too. Were you on your way to class before I stopped you?"

Elsa nodded. "I'm in no hurry, though."

Still, Tooth looked flustered. "I'm so sorry. I came because Jack wants to exchange numbers with you...if you're okay with it, of course."

Elsa reassured her with a warm smile as she handed Tooth her phone. "It's perfectly fine. I owe him."

"Ooh, sounds like the beginning of a very interesting story." Then Tooth pouted a little. "But I guess it'll have to wait. Which building are you off to?"

"The Fine Arts hall."

"Hey, I have class there too! Want me to take you?" Tooth flashed a look of concern at the bandages on Elsa's arms.

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

Tooth handed Elsa back her phone and took her across the quad, steering with the handles of her wheelchair. Elsa relaxed and leaned back. "You must be taking the special BFA program if you have classes on both campuses," she remarked.

"You guessed right! My schedule's a little crazy, but it all works out. Give me lots of coffee and energy drinks, and I'm good to go."

Elsa chuckled. "You sound a bit like my sister."

When Tooth and Elsa arrived at the Fine Arts hall, they parted ways by shaking hands.

"It was very nice to meet you, Elsa!" Tooth beamed. Then she added, "Your hand's cold, like Jack's. Speaking of Jack, he'd be so relieved to know that I got to see you." She leaned in and whispered, "Don't tell him I told you…but he meant to ask for your number and totally forgot."

Elsa laughed. "It's okay. I should've asked earlier and I forgot too."

Tooth sprinted upstairs to her class, leaving Elsa alone to her growing apprehension as she could only think of one thing: this was her first class of the day with Pitch Black. Long, dark-haired and lean, Pitch cut an intimidating figure. He would listen to the professor lecturing in the way Elsa had always seen him: with unblinking eyes and long chin resting on steepled fingers. She tried to suppress a shudder when his yellow eyes shifted to see her enter the classroom.

"Remember, your thesis paper is due next week," the instructor said toward the end of class. "I expect excellent work...especially from you, Elsa. I look forward to reading what you have to say."

Elsa shrank a little in her chair, sensing Pitch's acidic glare without even turning to look. She got no joy out of the professor's praise, only embarrassment of being put in the spotlight. Again.

When class ended, Elsa wheeled up to the professor as he cleaned the board. She cleared her throat. "Sir...may I ask you a favor?"

"Anything, Miss Arendal. What can I do for you?"

"I...I prefer that you not talk about me during class."

He turned around in surprise. "Why not, dear? Your intellectual insight and work ethic is an inspiration to us all. You're one of the brightest students I've had in years, Elsa. And that's saying a lot, considering the caliber of this school and the time I've been teaching here. You'll go on to do great things, I know it. You have so much potential."

Elsa tried to mention Pitch, but had difficulty figuring out what she was going to say. Finally she sighed and said, "I appreciate you feeling that way, sir. It's just...I feel very uncomfortable when you let everyone know."

The professor looked deeply apologetic. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. Of course I'll respect your wishes."

Elsa sighed with relief. "Thank you, sir."

He winked. "I'll still see an A paper from you, yes?"

She couldn't help but smile. "I'll do my best."

Elsa had been having classes with some of the same people for three years now, but she hardly knew them. Granted, they didn't have much of a chance to talk amongst themselves while professors gave lectures. But as soon as class would end, Elsa saw them gather into little groups and go have fun somewhere off campus.

Not surprisingly, Elsa took longer than most to pack up and leave class. She had to turn around for her backpack hanging behind her chair, a feat that made her bruises really hurt. The second to leave was always a Filipino guy, who would stay behind to hold the door open for her before he left himself.

When she finished talking with the professor, she was surprised to see him still standing outside and holding the door.

'He seems nice,' she thought. 'Maybe I should get to know him better.'

Elsa had always given him a quiet and polite "thank you," but their interaction never went beyond that. She could change that today.

"Thank you. Miko, is it?"

"Yeah." He looked surprised for a second.

She remembered Anna once telling her: "Starting a conversation might seem scary to you, but often times the other person feels the same way. Don't be afraid to take the first step!"

Elsa fought back the jitters in her stomach. "Wherever you and your friends are going to hang out...you mind if I come along?"

His smile faded and he looked visibly uncomfortable. "Um...we always go play basketball after this class, so..."

Elsa looked down at her wheelchair. Her useless legs. "Oh. Sorry I asked."

Miko looked torn between guilt and pity. Suddenly Elsa felt foolish for mustering her courage like that. She tried to put his guilt at ease.

"I just want to let you know that I've always been grateful for you holding the door. Don't feel bad."

He managed a little smile after hearing that. "No problem. Have a good day, Elsa."

"You too. Have fun."

Though Miko did nothing to offend her, she couldn't help but feel dismayed. This was why she preferred to be alone. Being alone by choice hurt a lot less than trying to be with others, only to get excluded in some way or another. In the end though, she'd much rather stay out of the way than be in the way. The last thing she wanted was to feel like unwanted baggage.

Then Elsa thought of Tooth giving her Jack's number. Keeping Anna's advice in mind once more, she called up his number.

* * *

Jack took a break between his classes by pulling up the Facebook app on his phone.

'Why didn't I think of it earlier? I could just look her up on here.'

But when he typed her name in the search bar, nothing came up. He found Anna Arendal, though. They had met before, so Jack saw no harm in sending her a friend request. The amount of friends she had was staggering. He wondered how many of them were people she actually knew. He let out a small chuckle when his request was accepted mere seconds later.

Then his phone buzzed. A text from Tooth…with Elsa's number! He broke out into a wide grin. So Tooth's mission was a success, after all. And just when he thought his day couldn't get any better, his phone buzzed again, signaling an incoming call from Elsa.

"Um…hello, Jack?"

"Hey, Elsa."

He heard her breathe a sigh of relief. "I was just calling to make sure I got the right number."

"Tooth did her job right. So yes, you did." Suddenly he felt his tongue thick in his mouth as he tried to get out the words. "I wanted to get in touch with you, and I was just about to call when you beat me to it. Listen, um…I was wondering, you know, if you're not busy…Are you?" He cringed at how idiotic he must sound over the phone.

"No, I'm out of class now. What is it, Jack?"

"You want to have lunch with me?" Jack tried to push what Bunny had said to the back of his mind. 'It's not a date…it's not a date…I just met her yesterday.'

Her voice was light with happy surprise. "S-sure. I'd love that."

His heart beat faster. "How about I meet you at a Philly cheesesteak place on your campus? I mean, there's gotta be one, right?"

He heard her laugh over the phone. "Yes, there is."

"Cool beans. I'll see you soon, then."

No sooner than he hung up, Jack wanted to slap a palm to his forehead. 'Cool beans? Really? Now she must think I'm a dork.'

Why was he so worked up over this? It was just a…he couldn't think of the word for it. Not-a-date?


	3. Phillies and Pizza

**Broken and Beloved (3)****  
****Phillies and Pizza**

"You don't sound like a freshman," Elsa said.

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "I don't?" He let out a light chuckle. "I get that a lot."

Warmed by sunlight dappled by the treetop above, the two sat in content with their half-finished sandwiches. The clouds had dispersed and the sun had come out by noon, a rare occurrence in Philadelphia. Jack and Elsa didn't want to miss out on the good weather. After buying cheesesteaks, they lounged by a coffee table and under a large oak tree.

Despite her serene appearance, inside Elsa was shaking and close to sweating. She was so afraid of getting tongue-tied and saying something stupid. Socializing was Anna's forte, not her's.

She didn't know what possessed her to make that comment about him. Maybe she didn't expect such a deep voice to come out of a baby-faced guy like Jack.

His mother had always taught him that it was rude to stare, especially when it came to gawking at disabled people, but Jack couldn't take his eyes off of her. Elsa carried herself with a delicate elegance, coming off distant and aloof but not haughty. He had watched her taking the time to spread a napkin over her lap before she took a bite from her sandwich. Noticing little things like that only made him admire her more.

Nervous as she was, Elsa enjoyed Jack's company. She couldn't remember the last time she ate lunch with someone. It was the only meal she ate on campus; breakfast and dinner were always at home with Anna. Usually Elsa would keep to herself, munching on something light and reading a book to pass the time.

"Thank you for suggesting cheesesteaks," Elsa said. "This is embarrassing, but...until now, I've never had cheesesteak before. I'm not much of a sandwich person, but you make me want to go back for more sometime." She smiled at him. "I guess I have an excuse, though. I wasn't born here."

"Oh, you weren't? Where did you come from, then?"

"I was born and raised in Norway, until I was eight and my family came over here."

Jack's eyes flew wide. "Wow, Norway? That's so cool." He leaned forward with interest. "Say something in Norwegian."

Elsa stared back at him, lost for a moment.

"No, I'm not the kind of guy that asks for swear words in different languages," he said with a laugh. "Just say hi or something."

"Um..._hallo, mitt nvan er Elsa_."

She bit her lip and flushed as Jack looked very impressed. "Man, I wish I was fluent in more than one language," he said wistfully. "American public schooling leaves much to be desired. I can maybe name like, five colors in Spanish." He shrugged. "Recently I've been learning some Russian from a friend named North, and a pinch of Thai from Tooth. But honestly, I don't think they'll be much use here in America."

"I feel the same with Norwegian," she replied. "I've been doing my best to hold onto it. Anna doesn't know as much anymore...I think it reminds her too much of our parents..."

Jack took a bite out of his cheesesteak and tilted his head questioningly. "You miss home?"

She shrugged and made a little smile. "It's been a long time since I've been back. I liked it there, and it was lovely. But I don't feel a particularly strong tug in my heart to go back. My father wanted to be at the center of American history, and that's why we moved here. I've been living in Pennsylvania for most of my life. What about you?"

"Oh, me? My story's nowhere near as exciting as yours. I grew up in Burgess, with a single mom and a little sister. It's a tiny town, a couple of hundred miles from Philly. Don't feel bad if you don't know. Trust me, nobody knows about Burgess."

Elsa smiled. "Well, now I know. It must be nice and cozy in Burgess. I came from a small town in Norway, too...I can appreciate the kind of life there."

"Yeah, you get my drift."

When Jack didn't say anymore, Elsa tried to strike up another conversation, but was at a loss with how to do just that. Then she remembered that he was a freshman. "Um…How do you like college so far?"

"Hmm...well, for one thing, I'm really glad I don't have to take math anymore." He gave her an apologetic glance and rubbed his head sheepishly. "No offense, if you happen to like math. But I'm fully convinced that I'm allergic to numbers and equations. There's a lot more freedom in college; I think that's my favorite part about it. I can take whatever classes I want, and my schedule's a lot more flexible. Public school wasn't like that. I had no say in getting the most out of my education, and that was sort of a stinker. I guess I'm grateful for one thing: I was forced to take the boring classes and came away knowing I didn't want to do them anymore in college."

Elsa shook her head. "I can't even imagine being in public school. It must be so hectic."

He was intrigued. "Oh, were you homeschooled?"

She made a soft laugh. "It must be obvious, huh?"

Jack liked the sound of her laugh among many other things. "Yeah, I can kind of tell." The way she dressed and carried herself gave it away. It was amazing how cute she looked even without makeup. So far he had only seen her with conservative clothes and her hair tied in a bun.

"I've been in public schools all my life," Jack said. "Must be nice to be homeschooled."

Elsa nodded. "I loved it. My parents have always been very protective and nurturing." She couldn't tell him the true extent of why they had acted that way. She went on: "They taught me and Anna everything they felt I needed to know. I never really made any friends, though...Anna was all I needed. I'm not sure if I could say the same for her. Ever since she became a freshman in college, she's been such a social butterfly."

"People change."

"I feel like I haven't really changed." Elsa stared down at her hands. "I always keep to myself. I'm never really good around people."

"I haven't known you very long, but I really appreciate the way you listen to me. My friends and I always like to argue and have food fights. Sure, it's fun, but it's nice to just sit down and have a little chat for a change." He beamed at her. "I like having you around."

Elsa felt her face grow warm again as he said that. "Y-you do?"

"Of course. We need to do this more often."

A great gust of wind whipped up, pulling at their hair and making the leaves rattle above them. "Winter's coming up soon," Jack remarked as he casually brushed his white hair back in place. "But I don't mind. The cold never bothered me much."

"It's my favorite season," Elsa said with a soft smile.

Jack's eyes lit up. "You too? I _love_ winter!" His fondness for her increased by exponential proportions. He could talk to her for hours if he wanted. But as he glanced at his watch, his heart sunk. "Yikes, I gotta go. Only crazy people sign up for classes starting at noon."

Elsa grinned. "That makes two of us. I have a class, too." A small part of her felt satisfied as he chuckled at her remark. She began to fold up the crumb-littered napkin on her lap.

"Here, I'll throw that away for you," Jack said.

As he reached out to get the napkin, their fingers brushed for a moment. Just like back in the clinic, the brief touch felt electrifying. "Th-thank you..." Elsa managed to say.

"No problem." Jack balled up their trash and made an underhand toss into a nearby bin. He grinned at her. "I'll see you around, Elsa. Take care of yourself."

Still a little dazed by his touch, she could only smile back and wave before he turned and rushed back to his school.

Her fingers flitted to her cheek, just checking to make sure her head hadn't exploded from sheer heat. She watched him run down the path, though she could've sworn it looked like he was flying instead.

* * *

Jack felt like soaring, practically weightless as he sprinted back. 'Elsa loves winter...just like me! Everyone thinks it's a time of doom and gloom...but she'd understand me. She totally gets it.'

Once he got to his next class, Jack knew exactly what he wanted to draw.

The latest assignment called for everyone to move out of their comfort zones. Not completely, but just enough to poke around at other subjects and mediums. Freshman year was about experimentation, after all.

Like with all big art projects, making rough concept sketches was the first step. Jack opened up his sketchbook and went straight to work. He made his lines loose and gestural, resisting the temptation to add more onto his drawings of Elsa. His instructor always told him that rough sketches were like puppies at a pet store. It's easy to get attached to puppies and not get anywhere beyond adoring them.

'It boils down to picking out just one you feel would be best for you,' Jack thought as he drew. 'That, and having the guts to turn down the rest that don't make the cut. It's the same with drawings.'

"Who's that? The girl of your dreams?"

Jack nearly jumped a mile high and quickly covered his sketches. "Not so loud, Bunny," he hissed. "No, she's not the girl of my dreams."

Bunny, who sat across from Jack, leaned back in his chair and chortled. "Sure, mate."

Funny how Bunny had worded that. Elsa _did_ appear in Jack's dream, after all. But he wasn't going to tell that to his friend in a hurry.

"We're supposed to draw something different, right? I don't usually draw people, so that's what I'll do for this assignment."

Bunny peered at what little he could see between Jack's fingers on the paper. "That's Elsa, isn't it? A real beauty, I'd say, from the looks of it."

Jack tried to change the subject as he slyly glanced over at his friend's doodles. "I know it's tempting, Bunny, but you can't draw Easter eggs all the time."

Bunny sighed. "I know...I guess I'll make North happy by doing something Christmas-themed this time around." He patted Jack's shoulder. "I'll leave you to drawing your girl, then."

He slipped his headphones back on, frowning at his sketchbook in concentration as his foot made rhythmatic taps on the floor.

Jack worked on his sketches for a few more minutes. After picking out one he liked, Jack took out his Bristol paper, opening to the first blank sheet. He decided to work with Prismacolor pencils. His brow furrowed as he stared at the white page, as he tried to picture it in its final layout.

'She told me that winter was her favorite season...' He tried to remember this as the drawing began to mentally unfold in his head.

His hand hovered and flitted over the page as he lightly hatched in construction lines. Even at its rough stage, he wanted to get it just tight. Elsa's perfect likeness and figure. Then he began to block in colors with broad strokes of his chiseled pencils. Snow was always tricky; to give form to the negative space, other colors had to be used wisely. Jack liked the challenge; it was his favorite subject to draw.

He drew Elsa sitting in her wheelchair, with a light smile on her lips and eyes almost closed in content as she tilted her head to the sky, one hand resting on her lap and the other outstretched to touch newly fallen snow. The wheelchair itself was just an outline framing her, partially faded by atmospheric depth and the soft snow. He wanted Elsa to stand out, not the wheelchair she was bound to.

Just as he thought he was on a roll, Jack hit a road block. He was stuck on her hair. He really wanted to draw Elsa with her hair down. The problem is, he had never seen her with it. He spent the next few minutes hunched over his drawing, tapping his pencil on his chin and mentally agonizing over the hair dilemma. To his embarrassment, he had no choice but to leave that space blank.

Still, it didn't detract from his overall excitement. Jack had been dreading this assignment before. Now he was looking forward to every minute of doing it.

* * *

Anna helped Elsa into the car after classes were over. Doing that for three years gave Anna a strong pair of arms. Elsa could trust that her sister would never drop her. She remember during the first year she'd apologize profusely to Anna for giving her so much trouble.

And Anna would always say, "Oh it's fine, Elsa. You practically weigh next to nothing. Plus, I need the exercise."

Elsa stared through the window, content and lost in her thoughts as Anna drove the car.

"Sooo, how was your day...?" Anna asked. She looked over and grinned. "Oh, you don't need to tell me. You saw Jack again, didn't you?"

"How did you know?"

Anna shrugged. "Sisterly intuition, I guess. Tell me everything. What did you two talk about?"

Elsa retold her conversation with Jack to the best of her ability.

"Sounds like you two have a lot in common." Anna shot her a sly glance. "Next time will be a date, right?"

Elsa laughed. "Anna, I only just met him the day before. Love doesn't work like that."

"Sure it can." Her little sister pouted, but made no further complaint. She could tell Elsa felt unusually cheerful today, and she was happy for her older sister. It wasn't like her to make friends easily.

Anna was exhausted and didn't feel like cooking dinner when they got home, so she ordered pizza and hit the bed.

Elsa remained in the living room, lounging against the cushions of a chair in front of the TV. A documentary on the construction of the Vietnam War Memorial had her full attention. The architect had been a twenty-one year old student, just like Elsa, when she undertook the project. It galvanized Elsa with inspiration; at the same time it made her feel strangely inadequate. She remembered her professor telling her how she held much potential.

She briefly took her eyes off the screen to stare down at her open palms. 'I've been concealing my powers all these years...what can I do when I actually let it go? What limits could I break through?'

The doorbell rung. Elsa's head snapped up and she straightened in her seat. She leaned back in her wheelchair to call out her sister's name. "Anna? Anna! Pizza's here!"

Anna stumbled out of her room, her voice thick and slurry with sleep. "Wonderful. I'm starving..." She fumbled for her wallet on the counter and went to answer the door.

A tall, young man with unkempt blonde hair waited outside. With his broad and sturdy physique, he looked like someone more fitted to operate a moving van than deliver pizza. When Anna walked up to him, Elsa could see that he easily towered over her by a head.

Anna took the warm box from him. She sniffed appreciatively as the aroma of pizza wafted from the cracks. "Thanks for the pizza!" she said. Then she tilted her head and furrowed her brow as she peered up at him. "I think I've seen you before. Don't you go to Drexel?"

"Yeah. Strange how you remember."

"Were you one of those guys who helped move stuff during freshmen orientation?"

He shrugged. "I hauled out ice and food. Nothing big."

"What's your name? I'm Anna Arendal."

"Kristoff Bjorgman."

Anna flashed him a little smile. "It's good to meet a fellow student." Then when she opened the box, her smile faded and she frowned at him. "Hey, this is pepperoni. I ordered cheese for me and my sister."

Kristoff looked disgruntled. "Look, I'm just the guy who delivers pizza. I don't take orders and I don't make them. Don't shoot the messenger."

Elsa smiled. "Anna, give him a break. It's not a big deal. We can just peel off the pepperoni."

Anna frowned. "But I don't like throwing away unwanted food. Even if I don't want to eat it."

Kristoff rolled his eyes. "If you really don't like pepperoni that much, just put them in a bag and I'll give them to my brother. I've got Sven waiting in the car, and I can't have him alone for long."

"Okay, I'll be quick." Anna dashed into the kitchen with the pizza box. Behind her back, Kristoff rolled his eyes again as he followed her in and shut the door.

Anna slipped on a plastic glove and opened the box. "Wow, you guys _really_ piled up on the pepperoni, huh?"

"You don't have to rub it in."

Elsa suppressed a laugh upon hearing their snarky exchange. She felt slightly uncomfortable at having a stranger in their house, but Kristoff barely spared her a glance.

As soon as Anna finished purging the pizza of pepperoni, Kristoff snatched up the plastic bag and the cash from Anna's hand.

"Thank you!" Elsa called, but he had already left and Anna closed the door.

"Charming, isn't he?" Anna rolled her eyes.

"That was a little odd," Elsa remarked. "Usually you hit it off with boys pretty well."

"I know...maybe he's an exception." Anna frowned thoughtfully. "Kristoff Bjorgman…I think I've heard rumors about him. People say he's a little weird. He doesn't make any friends and just hangs out with Sven instead." Anna lowered her voice to a whisper, despite Elsa being the only one around. "I think his little brother is severely autistic...he's not capable of intelligible speech. Kristoff's _really_ protective of him. He got into a fight last week when some jerk made fun of Sven. I think that's how I heard about Kristoff."

"That's sweet."

"What? Kristoff knocking the teeth out of that guy? You're hilarious, Elsa."

"No, I meant it's sweet how close Kristoff and Sven are. One sibling looking after the disabled one, just like us." Elsa looked down at her fragile legs. "I can't do anything on my own."

Anna's smile faded as she regarded her sister seriously. "Sure, you can. You got into a really good school all by yourself, without any of my help. You tell me that a lot of your teachers have faith in you. I've seen your works and they're amazing." She wrapped her arms around Elsa's shoulders. I know you don't have legs to stand on anymore, but you're gonna go far, Elsa. I believe in you."

Elsa gratefully returned the hug. "Sorry for moping. We have a pizza to eat before it gets cold."

They watched the rest of the documentary together as they ate, though Anna was more focused on inspecting her pizza slice for any sign of pepperoni. She looked pensive as she stared past the TV screen. "Now that I think about it…if someone ever put you down, I'd knock him out, too."

Elsa turned to give her a half amused, half sad look. "You almost did, remember?"

"Hmm? What do you mean-?" Then Anna's face darkened at the thought. "Oh. Now I remember."

Elsa was referring to that one time she and Anna were relaxing at a park, and some homeless bum curled up on a bench had the nerve to spit in Elsa's direction and call her a retard under his stinking breath. Elsa barely heard it, and she wished she hadn't. It cut her deep like a knife. Anna heard it, too. She got so mad and riled up that she bodily seized him by his patchy trenchcoat and threatened to punch him in the face.

"What did you just call my sister? I dare you to say that in her face, asshole!"

Startled by her vehement reaction, Elsa tried to put a restraining hand on her sister's arm. "Anna, it's fine…just let it go…"

"No, Elsa. This is _not_ okay." Anna looked close to crying. "I won't let anyone get away with insulting my sister. I'm gonna teach this guy a lesson." She raised her voice as she shouted down the startled man. "I'd bet all 4 years worth of my college tuition that my sister's a thousand times smarter and nicer than you! You think calling her a retard's gonna make your sorry situation any better? "

"Please, Anna," Elsa pleaded. "You're making a scene. I don't want this to get any worse. Let's just go home."

Anna had given the homeless man the most frightening, withering glare before she finally pushed him back onto the bench and wheeled Elsa out of the park. It wasn't until they got home that Elsa started to break down and cry, both hurt by the man's insult and moved by her sister's quickness to defend her.

Anna gripped the back handles of her sister's wheelchair and pulled her in close so she could rest her head on Elsa's shoulder. "I'll always be there for you. If you have any problems, don't hesitate to tell me."

Oh, how she wished she could. Elsa wanted to tell Anna about Pitch, but more than that she didn't want to drag her little sister into her mess. She didn't want Anna to get hurt, too.

'It's okay…when it comes to Pitch, I have Jack.'

Later that night, after she made finishing touches to her thesis paper, Elsa stayed up late to text Jack. She would've called him over the phone if Anna wasn't sleeping next door.

He had texted her first after dinner, saying again how he really liked having lunch with her. Elsa sat in bed, staring at her phone and trying to come up with a reply. She was briefly distracted as she inspected her legs. The bruises now took on a yellowish color. They looked ugly, but at least she was healing. She'll never forget what Jack did for her that day, standing up for her when she couldn't.

Finally she typed, "Since you came over to my school, next time I can visit yours. Maybe sit in one of your classes...?" She held her breath as she sent the text.

Jack had been lounging on his bed and doodling in his notebook. Elsa hadn't answered in a while, but then his phone buzzed on the nightstand and made him jolt.

He broke into a wide grin as he read her reply. He eagerly typed back: "Sure! That would be awesome. You can check out more of my drawings that way." Jack wasn't going to tell her about his current project just yet. It would be a surprise. He had to find some way to ask about her hair, though.


	4. Artist Statement

**Broken and Beloved (4)**  
**Artist Statement**

After sending pictures of each other's schedules through their phones, Elsa and Jack agreed on a time when she could come visit one of his classes.

Elsa only half-listened to her professor as he lectured. Though she maintained the air of a studious and attentive student, Elsa found herself spacing out as she wondered what kind of art Jack made.

'He seems like the spontaneous type...the opposite of me, I guess.'

She dabbled in art when she had been homeschooled. While her parents fostered her creative freedom and let her pursue it if she wished, Elsa never really had it take flight. Her drawings were restricted to shapes and patterns, taking inspiration from the intricacies of Gothic architecture to the patchwork products of Cubism. She wanted the shapes she drew to have meaning, to serve a purpose. Elsa found that through the study of architecture.

She left class early so she had time to make her way to Jack's school. As usual, she had to pull a wheelie to get the front of her chair over the doorframe barring her way.

'I need to ask the professor if he can do something about that doorframe. It's so annoying.' Elsa was about to turn a corner when a low, smooth voice stopped her.

"Leaving so soon? What's the hurry, Miss Arendal?"

She stiffened in her chair, but she didn't need to turn around to see who was talking to her. "What do you want, Pitch?" she asked brusquely.

He caught her at a time when the hall was vacant, save for her and Pitch. He glided up to her without a sound, like a snake slithering in the shadows.

"You were lucky last time. You must be so happy to make a new friend." Pitch's flat yellow gaze flitted down to her legs. "Healing well? Pity. I might have to try harder next time."

Elsa gritted her teeth. "It's none of your business. You're keeping me from my next class."

A deep chuckle escaped his wide grin. "You make a poor liar, Arendal. But if you insist, I'll let you go." He stepped aside to let her pass. But not before leaning in and whispering, "Remember, I know your little secret. Does _he_ know it too?"

She stiffened in her seat. Elsa tried to fight back her fear and turned away as if she never heard him. She wheeled down the hall as fast her arms and chair together could take her. To her relief, he didn't follow. It was bad enough that Pitch knew about her powers. She couldn't ever let Jack know too, otherwise it'd be the end of their friendship. Even if he liked winter.

She stopped for a moment, her hand lingering over the handicap automatic door button after pressing it. Would Jack understand if she told him? Or would he react with disgust and fear, just like anyone else would? She didn't know what to think. She hadn't even known him for a week; it would feel somewhat wrong to entrust him with the secret when Anna didn't even know.

'Some things are best kept secret,' she thought with a sigh. She wheeled through the open automatic doors.

Elsa pushed aside her apprehension as she slowly and steadily crossed the campus. Thankfully Pitch didn't hold her up for too long. At Jack's school, Elsa was relieved to see ramps she could cross, as well as elevator access to reach the third floor. She looked forward to seeing Jack and what he could create.

* * *

Jack wasn't looking forward to seeing Elsa at all. Disappointment and anger at himself welled in his throat like bile. Getting chewed out and blatantly criticized during critique was far from being pleasant. Few things were as bad as being told you sucked at the only thing you were good at.

Jack's figure drawing instructor had always been blunt and straightforward, but earlier today she had only a few scathing words for his efforts. He wasn't great at drawing people, that much he knew. He could never quite get proportions right, and his habit of drawing cartoonish features impeded him from aiming for the realism his teachers always wanted from him. His forte was landscapes, not people.

He sat in his next class, silent and sulking as he hunched over his sketchbook. His pencil meandered across the page in incoherent doodles, reflecting the aimless, uninspired turmoil in his mind. Tooth, Bunny, North and Sandy shared studio hours with him, but they sat a few desks away to give him some space. They knew better than to try consoling him when he was in a bad mood. He needed time to himself and to calm down before he welcomed any company. He could sense his friends giving him occasional glances of sympathy from their workspaces.

Jack wanted to groan aloud. 'Of all times to have Elsa come over...'

He was definitely not in the mood to show off his art to her. Not with his deflated ego and ruined day. If his instructor didn't like his work, what would Elsa think? Doubt and insecurity gnawed at him like a dog chewing at a bone. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself further. Jack started to fish out his phone from the front pocket of his hoodie.

'Maybe I should tell her not to come.'

And just as he thought that, a gentle rap on the door made him look up. Elsa was across the studio room, wheelchair and all. It had been kept open so she could wheel in with no problem. Jack didn't know whether to smile or cringe.

She noticed the expression on his face, and her soft smile faltered. "What's wrong, Jack?"

He tried to shrug it off as he managed a little polite grin. "Kind of had a bad day," he admitted. He crossed the room to help her wheel through the floor splattered with paint and egg tempura. Elsa's arrival attracted a few looks from other art students, but they quickly returned to their work and music playing from their headphones. Someone had his metal music on a bit too loud; Elsa could hear the faint buzz of screams and thrashing guitar riffs from the far corner by a huge window.

She could see the frustration etched on Jack's face. "What happened?" she gently prompted.

Jack plopped down behind his desk, blew out a gusty sigh and ran a hand through messy white hair. Finally, without the usual energy and cheerfulness in his voice, he said, "I'll tell you later. Let me introduce you to my friends first." Jack turned to where they worked. "Guys, Elsa's here."

They had been so busy that they failed to notice Elsa until now. Tooth looked up from her Cintiq tablet and made a little gasp. She flitted from her desk like a hummingbird. "Hi, Elsa! It's so nice to see you again!"

"Settle down, Tooth," North said with a chuckle. "Inside voice. Our classmates are working."

She made a dismissive wave of her hand. "Everyone's listening to their music, anyway."

Jack turned to Elsa with a crooked smile. "Well, you already know Tooth. The big tough guy with the beard is North, the one with all the sand is...well, Sandy...and, last but not certainly not least, the tall ugly one is Eastyn Aster Bunnymund."

Bunny chortled. "Ugly yourself, Jackson Overland Frost." Suddenly he looked sheepish. "Sorry Jack, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, man. I'd be worried if you didn't joke around all the time."

Bunny grinned at Elsa. "Pleased to meet you. Disregard my silly full name the blighter had so kindly brought up. Just call me Bunny."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"I'd love to shake your hand," North said. "but my own are covered in paint and wood chips." Despite his dominating figure and intimidating face, his voice was warm and friendly. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Elsa."

Sandy nodded at her and grinned, but didn't utter a word. Elsa could only assume that he was unable to speak somehow.

She quickly felt at ease once she saw that they were quite friendly. "It's so nice to meet all of you. Jack invited me here so I could see his art, and now I'm curious to see yours as well."

Hearing her say that made Jack uncomfortable. "I...uh, I'm gonna step out for a little bit. My pastel drawings are hanging outside. The spray fix on them might be dried by now."

Elsa turned to his friends with a confused look on her face. After Jack left, Bunny's eyes darted to the door before he said to Elsa in a muted voice, "Jack's stuck in a creative rut right now. Critique didn't go so well for him today."

Elsa stared past the open door where Jack had gone. Her heart went out for him. Criticism was always hard to swallow...no wonder he looked so glum when she came in. He hadn't showed her his work yet, and maybe he never planned to.

"I'm so glad you're here," Tooth said. "I've been getting tired of hearing stuff from the same people every day. I didn't want to say it when Jack was around, but I'd like opinions from someone who isn't a classmate or family member. I just finished a piece, and I need a fresh pair of eyes to take a look." To save Elsa the trouble of getting herself behind the desk, Tooth turned her laptop around.

Elsa instantly liked what she saw. Tooth had drawn a charming picture of a two girls making a mountain of colorful paper cranes. "It's like a mix of Japanese anime and illustrations from picture books. You might get this a lot already, but...it's very cute."

Instead of looking annoyed, Tooth beamed. "Yay! I'm glad you think that. Cute is what I'm going for."

"I like the colors you used," Elsa remarked. "They're soft and warm...like what I feel inside when I look at this." A wistful smile found its way on her lips. "It reminds me of the time Anna and I would always build a snowman during the winter."

"Oh, great! I'm glad you thought that. My art focuses on memories. I want to become an illustrator for children's stories someday. I want them to feel that warm fuzziness as they read, and remember it after years pass."

Elsa smiled. "That's so sweet. I'd love to see what kind of stories you'll create and publish in the future. Maybe I'll buy some from you." She tried to get a better look at the screen. "You drew all that on the computer?"

"No, not all of it," Tooth replied. "The sketch was done on paper, then I did touch-ups and coloring on Photoshop. For the past few weeks I've been testing the waters of digital art. It's been really fun so far."

Bunny raised his hand. "Hey Elsa, I want to know what you think of my work, too. I finished these three, but the fourth one is still in the works." He held up his series of paintings.

"I like the color on these, too. Beautiful Faberge eggs," she remarked.

Bunny looked pleased. "Thanks. I'm sort of obsessed with 'em. I love Easter and what it represents. I try to make my art all about hope. Should I make the eggs look fancier? More outlines and frilly stuff?"

"I think they're fine the way they are," she admitted. "Too much decoration would make it look crowded and excessive."

Bunny's thick eyebrows knitted as peered closer at his work. "Hmm, I see. I get what you mean. Thanks, Miss Architect."

She leaned forward in her chair to peer at Sandy's desk. "May I see what you're working on?" she asked him.

Sandy happily obliged. He lifted up his series of sand art for her to see. The circle motif was everywhere, like ripples from a drop of water, or diagrams of vibrations and seismic waves Elsa had seen from her physics textbook. After a few seconds, she said, "Is it silly to say that I feel drowsy when I see these?"

Sandy seemed highly amused by her remark. North chuckled. "No, not at all. His art centers on dreams, so it's only natural for you to react that way. I think that's what he wants, in fact."

Tooth drew her laptop closer to her and delicately brushed away some sand that had strayed into her work area. "While Bunny's going through a Faberge egg craze, Sandy's having the same with the ideas and imagery of Buddhism. Eternity and reincarnation depicted in circles, meditation, achieving Nirvana and seeing the void, all that jazz. My great-uncle runs a temple in the area, so Sandy stops by there a lot for inspiration and research." Tooth exchanged a quick grin with her silent friend. "I've bumped into him so many times that way."

In some ways, Sandy did remind Elsa of a monk. Plainly garbed, quiet and serene, he looked as if nothing or no one could disrupt the reverie of his tranquil content. But upon further scrutiny she sensed something else, something deep and troubling that unsettled him within. A feeling not unlike her own. She too tried to keep an air of calm and control, but that was not how she felt inside. Conceal, don't feel. Don't let it show. Maybe she was reading too much into it. She tended to be hypersensitive and overly analytical, a habit that Anna often pointed out.

And finally, Elsa wanted to see what North was working on. She pointed to the matryoshka doll he had made and painted himself.

"Is that supposed to be you?"

"Indeed it is, Miss Elsa. Open it and take a closer look."

She handled the wooden Russian-style doll carefully as she opened the top, only to find yet another doll within the doll. One by one she took it apart. "These are different aspects of you," she remarked.

The big man winked at her. "Clever girl. Care to venture a guess at what the final one could be?"

She scrutinized the last doll, taking note of its wide eyes. "A childlike center," she finally said. "A center filled with wonder."

Bunny threw up his hands. "Someone give her a medal."

Sandy made a little show of applause.

"Jack couldn't figure it out," Tooth said with a little laugh. "He just thought it had big eyes."

North's dark eyes lit with youthful energy. "Yes, Miss Elsa, my art is all about wonder. I live for the wonder I feel about everything in this world, and the wonder I hope to invoke in people who see my art."

Elsa looked to Jack's friends with admiration. "You put so much thought into what you create, and that's awesome. I'm supporting you all the way." She wanted to say that to Jack too, if only he had the courage and heart to show her his art earlier.

Jack returned to the classroom, his drawings in hand but turned away from sight. After hearing thoughtful insights from the others, Elsa wondered what his art had to say about himself. She didn't want to pressure him with a request, so she said, "I'd love to see you've done, Jack."

He felt pressured, anyway. Jack stowed away his drawings under his desk and sighed. "I don't know if you'll like it. My teachers didn't."

"Show 'em to her, mate," Bunny gently prodded. "She looked at some of our stuff, but she came to see yours most of all."

"Don't let critique get you down," Tooth said.

Finally, Jack handed her his sketchbook and pulled out his drawings for her to see. He looked away uncomfortably and felt hot. "I apologize in advance for any crap you might find in there," he mumbled.

Elsa looked through his art, marveling at each new sight. "What are you talking about, Jack? These are amazing."

"They're okay..."

"No, I really mean it. I'm seeing more than just a bunch of pencil lines. It's like I'm looking through a window, out into a world you created." She looked up at him. "To be honest, I didn't expect you'd be the kind of artist to draw landscapes."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Most people think I look like someone who would draw graffiti and tattoos, but I tend to surprise them."

"You surprised me, for sure. But I love it, Jack." It pained her to hear how he sounded so insecure. "You should have more confidence in your talent," she added. "People can't like and accept your art if you don't like and accept it yourself. Not everyone can do landscapes. They're quite hard to do, actually. Most people are more comfortable with drawing figures, rather than trying to capture the expanse and grandeur of a landscape on paper or canvas."

He nodded a little. "Yeah. I see what you mean. Some people aren't great at drawing backgrounds."

"What compels you to draw landscapes? Winter, in particular?"

"I just really like winter." Jack sighed and rubbed his head. "But some of my teachers say that I may as well be a nature photographer instead of an artist. They say that I have no direction, or I don't know what to say. And they're right. I like winter, but that's pretty much all I can say about it."

She continued to press him with questions. "Well, what do you like about winter?"

"I see it as a time to have fun. Most people just think it's all doom and gloom. I don't see it the way they do."

"There, that's your artist statement."

"What is?"

"You think that winter's fun. Use your art to convince people who think otherwise."

"Great idea," North remarked.

Jack chuckled. "You're saying that I turn my art into propaganda?"

"Not exactly," she replied. "Try to offer a different perspective. Make people see a side of winter they never thought of seeing. Like warm colors and happy memories. Bring life into the landscape. Show animals that thrive in winter. Show people that skate and ski and throw snowballs."

Bunny nodded in approval. "Playing with perception, eh? I like that."

Jack was simply blown away. A wide grin spread and rounded his cheeks and his face visibly brightened. "Elsa, you're the best. You're my ultimate muse."

She only smiled modestly. "I'm glad you like my suggestions. I love winter as much as you do."

He felt warmth spread all the way up to the tips of his white hair. Not even praise from his mother and sister made him feel that way. There had be something special about Elsa, no doubt about it. He was going to take her ideas to heart. He would improve his figure drawings, narrow his focus on what he wanted to say on his art. All for her sake, if not his. And speaking of figure drawings...

Jack couldn't help but cringe as Elsa reached his sketched portraits. "I'm still working on those," he said quickly. "I'm not very good at drawing them." Then he smirked. "I tend to make Bunny look ugly on purpose, though."

Bunny retaliated with playful yank at Jack's hoodie. He winked at Elsa. "You're lucky. Jack only shows his journal to really pretty girls."

"No, I don't!"

"Yeah, you do. Back in high school, at least."

"This isn't high school now, is it? C'mon, Bunny...she doesn't need to know that."

"Sure, she does. It's a compliment."

Jack said nothing, and Tooth awkwardly averted her gaze. She used to date Jack back in high school, but it didn't really work out. Without any fuss, heartbreak, or drama that usually preceded such a situation, the two quietly broke up to remain amiable friends.

Elsa broke the awkward silence as she checked her wristwatch and said, "I think it's time I go back to my school now."

"Aww, but we love having you here," Tooth said. Sandy nodded in enthusiastic agreement.

"Want me to take you back?" Jack offered.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine getting back on my own." Elsa gave him a small, tight smile. "I won't make the same mistake twice, and my last class with him ended before I came here."

Only Jack knew who and what she referred to. Elsa learned the hard way not to take shady shortcuts between campuses. It was good for Jack to know that she'd stay away from Pitch Black for the rest of the day. Elsa waved goodbye to Jack and his friends before turning in her wheelchair and wheeling herself out of the classroom.

Jack realized he had been staring after her for too long when Tooth nudged him in the ribs. "You liiike her," she crooned.

"No, I don't!" he sputtered. "I-I mean I do, but just as a friend. I haven't known her that long to jump the gun and ask her out."

Bunny chuckled. "Says the guy who went out with more girls than I count with both hands."

"Let's just say I learned from that experience. I want to take it slow." Behind his crooked smile, Jack was serious. Hardly any of his relationships had lasted long. Sometimes the girl was a nasty piece of work, but most of the time he would simply lose interest. Jack was never really one for commitment, from girlfriends to career aspirations. His first dream at five years old had been wanting to rule the world. Then he wanted to be a hockey player, an Olympic skier, the lead singer for a rock band...the list went on. Art was the only thing that stood the test of time. Well, more like most of the eighteen years of his life. In some ways he envied Elsa. She seemed quite successful and dedicated, with a clear idea of what she wanted in her life. Someday he'd find his own path, too.

Whatever his center may be, Jack wanted Elsa to be part of it. She played a big part in helping him find that center, after all.


	5. Conflict and Exposure

**I'm flattered that, based on the previous chapter, some of you may have thought that I'm an architecture or art major. **

**But I'm actually a medical student. (Le gasp!) **

**I did, however, graduate from a high school that specialized in performing and visual arts. To attend the school meant getting into an art area (theater, visual arts, dance, instrumental, or vocal), and you had to be selected in a series of auditions. I got in for visual arts. And that's how I got my formal training and experience. I have personal (and practical) reasons why I chose not to continue art after high school. ****Sorry for rambling. Read on, readers!**

* * *

**Broken and Beloved (5)  
****Conflict and Exposure**

Elsa loved the university library. She loved the peace and quiet, the aged yet crisp smell of library books. She could lose herself in a good novel or two for hours. But today she could find no solace in such an endeavor.

Not when Anna failed to show up on campus. She was supposed to pick up Elsa after both of their last classes. Elsa didn't mind waiting. But after an hour, she tried calling her sister to remind her.

Elsa frowned at she heard next. "Hi, you reached the voicemail of Anna Arendal. Sorry I can't be available right now. Please leave a-"

Elsa hung up before it could finish. She already left a few messages, with varying levels of impatience and frustration. She tried to take her mind off of it by reading.

An open copy of _The Kite Runner_ rested on her lap. She never got around to reading it until now. It told the tale of two Afghan boys, one of whom undergoes a journey of redemption to right the wrongs he had made against the other boy, who died later in the book. The novel was both tragic and beautiful; Elsa loved those kind of stories. But she couldn't take delight in _The Kite Runner_'s poignancy and well-written prose when all she had on her mind was how late Anna was.

Elsa took her eyes from the pages to text her sister. She got no reply. Elsa frowned, feeling a sudden spike of irritation in her chest. 'Why isn't she answering her phone? She should have been here hours ago.'

A gentle tap on the shoulder made Elsa turn her head. It was the librarian, a kindly old lady who took a liking to the young woman in the wheelchair. "Closing hours are early today, dear. Everyone has to leave in half an hour."

Elsa blinked. "Oh, right. Thank you." Her polite reply masked the frustration that mounted within her. On a whim, Elsa tried calling Jack instead. He was quick to answer.

"Hey, Elsa. What's up?"

She sighed. "I'm so sorry to trouble you, Jack. My sister hasn't come over to pick me up. I've been trying to call her, but she wouldn't answer the phone. I'm practically stuck here. I...I was wondering if you'd be so kind to drive me home."

"Oh, sure! No problem at all!" From the comfort of his dorm, and a bit groggy from his nap, Jack scrambled to grab his keys and leapt out of bed. "Hang tight, I'm on my way."

He heard her blow a gusty sigh of relief. She was glad to have called him, after all. "Thank you so much. I owe you."

"No need, Elsa. Where are you right now?"

"In the university library."

'That explains why she's pretty quiet,' he realized. "Okay...I hope Pitch isn't around to bother you."

"He's not. He wouldn't cause a ruckus in the library." Jack's concern put a smile on Elsa's face. "I'll wait for you outside, then."

She hung up, relieved that she could go home after all. A library volunteer offered to save Elsa the trouble of returning the books herself. After turning in her seat to make sure her backpack was still strapped to her wheelchair, Elsa left the closing library. Streetlights illuminated the roads, and car lights streamed past and beyond her vision as people started to head home. She stopped between a streetlight and a bench before the parking lot, so she could be easily seen. She forgot what Jack's car looked like; she had only seen it once. But after a few minutes she recognized him instantly as soon as he stepped out.

He greeted her with a slight lopsided grin. "Hey, Elsa. You look stranded."

"I know." Her own smile was weary and resigned. She sat back as Jack wheeled her through the parking lot.

"Beautiful evening, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Bunny and North thought I was taking you out on a date when I told them I had to pick you up."

Elsa blushed a little. Thankfully it was dark and she had her back to him, so he didn't notice. She didn't see it either, but Jack turned a bit red as well.

He carefully carried her into the passenger seat. As he started the ignition and backed out of the parking lot, Elsa tried calling her younger sister for the umpteenth time. She held the phone to her ear for some time. Tight-lipped, Elsa exhaled sharply through her nose in irritation.

Jack frowned. "Nothing?"

"It's not like her to miss a call. She never ignores my calls, either. I wonder what she's up to."

"First time for everything, I guess."

Elsa furrowed her brow. "She did mention a few days ago she wanted to pick up kickboxing. Maybe she's at a club meeting and she forgot to tell me."

It didn't take long to reach her house; it wasn't far from where she went to school. Jack paused at the driveway and pointed past his window. "Is this your house?"

"Yes, it is. Oh, it's him again."

Elsa was surprised to see Kristoff at her front door. One hand carried the pizza and the other rested on his hip. He looked impatient. Next to him was a tall young man Elsa didn't recognize. He had messy brown hair, wide eyes and a perpetual goofy smile. He was never still; he shuffled his big feet and fidgeted with his fingers. When Jack's car came up, the young man tugged at Kristoff's sleeve and pointed. Kristoff seemed to recognize Elsa as Jack helped her out of his car.

"Hey, maybe you can finally help us," he said gruffly.

"What seems to be the problem?" she asked.

"I have another pizza delivery for this place, but no one's answering the door." Kristoff gestured to Anna's car. "Someone must be home, though."

Elsa sighed. "I'll see what I can do." As she wheeled up to the door, she glanced back at the two.

"Is this your brother Sven?"

"Yeah." Kristoff stared down at her, wary of her response.

Elsa gave Sven a warm smile. "Hello. It's nice to meet you."

"Hellooo." He said it with a lowing sound in his throat, almost like a bull. He towered over her, mostly because she sat in a wheelchair, so he stretched out a large hand and patted Elsa on the head. She blinked in surprise and Jack burst out laughing. Kristoff caught Sven's wrist and shot him an admonishing look.

"No Sven, you don't touch people like that."

Elsa laughed. "It's fine. He's so friendly."

Kristoff looked a little relieved. "Glad you think so. He really is. But everyone else thinks he's annoying, and I have to keep him in check. He doesn't grasp the concept of personal space." He glanced at the receipt taped to the pizza box. "Um...you ordered sausage and extra cheese, right?"

"I don't know," Elsa replied. "My sister must've made the order. I had no idea she bought pizza."

Jack looked to Kristoff. "I don't think we've met. Name's Jack Frost."

The taller, older man made a brisk nod. "Kristoff Bjorgman. You two a couple?"

Kristoff's offhand inquiry came out of left field, completely shocking Jack and Elsa.

"Wh-what? No, we're not," she sputtered.

Jack too looked flustered. "I'm just here to drop her off," he quickly said.

Elsa tried to calm her fluttering heart as she turned to him. "Thanks for driving me home."

He made to head for his car, but seemed to change his mind. "I'll hang around until you get inside the house. I don't want you being stranded again."

She gave him a grateful smile.

Part of Jack felt angry at Anna for leaving Elsa behind like this. He saw how bright and friendly she was; it wasn't like her to do this. What could possibly make her act this way?

Kristoff, Sven and Jack watched as Elsa turned her ear to the door and leaned in close. She recognized the faint sound of Anna's favorite R&amp;B song playing on speakers. It sounded like it came from the living room, but Elsa knew the song when she heard it.

As soon as the lull in the music came around, Elsa knocked on the door as loudly as she could. She used Anna's signature knock, the one her sister always used when they were kids. A few moments later, the doorknob clicked and turned as Anna answered the door. She blanched and looked completely aghast.

Her small voice finally broke the awkward silence. "Oh. H-hey, guys..."

Jack's blue eyes darted between Anna's shocked face and Elsa's glare.

'I should probably go now,' he thought.

Kristoff looked like he wanted to leave too, but he had pizza to deliver.

Jack made a quick little wave to Elsa before he hurried away.

Elsa opened her mouth to say something and Anna burst into a flurry of frantic apologies. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry! I completely forgot to pick you up, Elsa. I was so caught up with other stuff that it just went over my mind." She hung her head in shame. "I'm terrible. How could I forget you?"

Elsa was about to launch into an ear-blistering lecture, but the sincere regret and dejection on Anna's face made her hold her tongue. She couldn't stay angry at her sister for long. In the end Elsa gently shook her head. "Just don't do it again, okay?"

"I promise!" Anna quickly assured her sister. She craned her neck to see Jack get in his car. "I guess I have him to thank for taking you home. He's so nice to you, Elsa. It's adorable..."

Kristoff cut her off. "Can I just give you the pizza and get going now?"

Anna finally seemed to notice the pizza deliverer, who looked very irate at this point. "Oh, right. Sorry." She opened the door wider to let everyone in. She took the pizza from Kristoff just as quickly as he practically thrusted it at her. She cracked it open and her face brightened.

"Good, the order's done right this time."

Before his older brother could stop him, Sven surprised Anna with a hug.

Kristoff slapped a palm to his face as he pulled his autistic brother off of her. "No, Sven. What did I tell you?" Then he sighed. "This is why I keep him in the car."

Anna laughed. "It's okay. I didn't mind."

She skipped to the kitchen to put down the pizza and get money for Kristoff. "I hope you don't mind that I have a guest over."

Her offhand remark made Elsa stop. Her eyes flew wide with surprise. "You-Wait, what...?"

Then she saw Anna's guest reclined on the couch. Upon seeing more people come in, he immediately sat up and rose to his feet. He waved at Elsa. "Good evening. You must be Anna's older sister."

"Who is this?"

Both Anna and the guest looked taken aback at her sharp inquiry. The latter responded politely, "My name is Hans Westergard."

Elsa stared, sizing him up and still trying to fight back shock. He stood as tall as Kristoff, though perhaps not as sturdy and well built. His auburn hair narrowed down to prominent sideburns on both sides of his face. When he talked, Hans sounded smooth and refined as Kristoff was coarse and gruff.

Anna touched Hans' arm in a way that made Elsa think that maybe they were a little more than just friends. "We go to the same university. We even share a few classes together! I just wanted to invite him over for dinner at our place. We didn't do anything weird or suspicious, I promise. All we did was finish each other's sandwiches and watch a movie."

Hans looked a little hapless. "Anna insisted that I come here, and I couldn't find it my heart to refuse her kind offer. Everything she said is true. I've done nothing to harm your sister or make her uncomfortable, I swear. If I made it seem I came into this house unwanted and uninvited, I sincerely apologize."

Hans sounded quite nice. Maybe too nice. Something about him made Elsa wary and kept her on her toes (metaphorically speaking).

Anna glanced between Hans and her sister. She looked flustered and let out a gusty sigh. "I guess this isn't a good time to tell you..."

Elsa stiffened. "Tell me what?"

Hans and Anna shared a brief amorous gaze. Finally, Anna mustered her courage. "We want to get married. Like, right away."

"Don't worry, Elsa. We've discussed this," Hans quickly said. "We won't leave you alone. You can move in with my twelve brothers at my family's house. We can all take care of you."

Anna's voice was bright with unbridled enthusiasm. "See? It's all been arranged, more or less. We just thought we might ask you first so we won't rebel and elope. I didn't think you'd want that. And I don't want to leave you alone, either. So...can Hans and I get married?"

"You, and him? Married?" Elsa didn't think she could get more shocked. But she proved herself wrong.

Anna and Hans still linked arms, waiting for Elsa's response with bated breath.

It took Elsa a while to find words. "I...I only got to know Hans just now. How long have _you_ known him, Anna?"

"Since freshman orientation."

"Two months?"

"And two weeks," Anna meekly added. "So almost three months."

Elsa shook her head. "No. No, absolutely not. Hans, thank you for your kind offer, but I can't accept this. You are _not_ marrying him."

Her sister's face fell. "But why-"

"Anna, do I even have to explain myself?" Elsa tried and failed to keep her usual calm composure. If she could walk, she'd be pacing all over the house right now. "You're not out of college yet. You haven't finished freshman year. You're not even done with one semester, for God's sake!" Elsa felt a day's worth of stress and frustration accumulate within her. She felt like a pot boiling over its lid.

Anna looked woefully dismayed, and cringed a little at the strong disapproval in her sister's voice.

Elsa continued her tirade despite herself. "Three months is not long enough to know a guy before you marry him. You need to think things through. We don't live in some sort of fairy tale, where it's okay to dash off with the prince of your dreams and not think about the consequences, or worry about any responsibilities. Marriage is a huge step in life that requires a lot of time and thought. Honestly, I don't think either of you have considered that. What makes you think I'll say yes to something as ridiculous as this?"

Anna looked visibly offended. "It's not ridiculous. it's true love."

"Oh, it is? What do you know of true love?" Elsa regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

"More than you!" Anna retorted. "I've been here for you when Mama and Papa can't. I've done everything for you, Elsa, everything I could to make your life not as bad as it could've been, if not better. Please, all I ask is for one thing in return. Just one."

Kristoff looked like he wanted to speak up and remind Anna about the cash, but thought better of it and awkwardly remained in the house with Sven.

Elsa had to steel herself from succumbing to her sister's heartfelt pleas. She didn't care so much for the look of hurt on Hans' face, but it was Anna's that made her almost regret her harsh tone. She loved Anna dearly, but this was something she just could not approve. Elsa hated going against her little sister, but she held her ground. "I'm sorry, Anna...my answer is still no. I'm always grateful for everything you do for me. But this is not about me being obligated to return the favor. It's common sense. You can't marry a man you just met." Elsa looked away with a heavy sigh and her voice rang with finality. "This discussion is over."

Hans raised his hand. "Elsa, if I may-"

"No, you may not. Please leave our house now."

Dead, heavy silence reigned. After what seemed like an unbearable stretch of time, Hans moved to pack up his things.

"It's not fair," Anna whispered.

The heartbreak in her sister's voice made Elsa grip the wheels of her chair. She sighed. "I'm supposed to look after you after our parents died, teaching you right from wrong. I failed to do that. I failed as a big sister."

Anna trembled with anger she fought to suppress. But it burst out. "Look after me?" she cried. "I feel like you're controlling me. If anything, I'm the one looking after _you_. I feel more like a caretaker than your little sister."

Elsa flinched. Her heart wrenched. Those words hurt her like a deep wound. "...Is that how you really feel about me?" she whispered.

Anna's eyes grew wide and horrified as she realized what she had just said.

Elsa looked away. Her whole body trembled. The living room suddenly seemed much colder, as if a gale of frost blew in. She fought to rein in the emotional tumult raging inside her. When she saw thin ice emanating from her hands, coating the wheels of her chair and the floor under her, she realized she failed. Fear washed in to top her sorrow. Now everyone knew.

Hans pulled Anna into a protective embrace. Kristoff gaped at the iced floor. Even Sven lost his goofy smile.

Elsa's eyes welled with tears that froze on her pale cheeks. "I'm nothing but a burden. I'm a danger to you, too."

She turned in her chair faster than she ever had and went straight for the door.

Anna's voice called her. "Elsa, wait-"

She ignored it. All she could think about was getting away as fast and as far as she possibly could. Elsa used slick ice to propel the wheels under her, leaving an icy trail in her wake. She didn't care if anyone saw. She just needed to get away. She steadily picked up speed and momentum, nowhere as fast as a car, but still faster than she had ever gone before.

Jack was on his way home when something sped past the corner of his eye. He turned and his jaw dropped. It was Elsa, speeding on ice! He hit the brake and the car came to a screeching halt. He unbuckled his seat belt and threw open the car door.

"Elsa!" he called.

She was too far away to hear him now.

His mind spun from shock and a flurry of questions. 'Where's she going? What's with all the ice? Why does she look so sad?' The last question on his mind made his heart wrench. He had to go after her, to make sure she'd be all right. Intrigue took hold of him as well. Since when did Elsa have powers of ice? He just had to see more of it for himself.

Out of sheer, strange impulse, more out of instinct than reason, Jack grabbed his sketchbook and a few pencils. The shepherd's staff materialized in his other hand. He tucked the sketchbook under his arm and flew after her.


	6. Searching For Elsa

**I apologize for changing my username like 5 billion times. I'm horribly indecisive. Thank you for bearing with me.**

**Since I type and upload all my fics on the phone, recently switching from iPhone 3G to Galaxy S5 is a huge change for me. Evernote on Android takes some getting used to. If I make dumb mistakes on these chapters, that's likely me struggling to adapt. :3**

* * *

****Broken and Beloved (6)**  
**Searching For Elsa****

Elsa went on and on until her arms ached and couldn't possibly take any more. The ice under her wheelchair softened into snow, bringing her to a gentle stop.

The ice path she made for herself had smoothed her way through the woods. She diverged from the paved roads, aiming on isolating herself from everything and everyone as much as she could. The great strain she had exerted on her body didn't hit her until now. The incoming wave of dizziness and exhaustion made Elsa hunch over in her chair, her chest heaving in the struggle to catch her breath. Eventually her pants subdued and she clutched her arms close to herself. Tears formed and fell from her eyes again. Tiny flakes of snow suspended in the night air, a reflection of the sorrow fresh and heavy in her wrenched heart.

She pressed both hands to her face, her body shaking as she sobbed. For the first time ever, Elsa had no idea what to do. She only knew and stuck to one thing in her life: 'Be the good girl you always have to be.' She always obeyed her parents, got good grades, did her best to be a good daughter and sister. Once she had gotten news of being accepted to the college she wanted, Elsa thought she was all set. She would honor her deceased parents, succeed in life and look after her little sister.

But it wasn't so simple. Bad things happen, however unexpected or unintentional they may be. Elsa bit her lower lip as she looked to the ice trail that dwindled in the distance behind her.

'Will I ever go back...? I'll have to, at some point. What will happen to me, then? What will happen to Anna?'

She clenched her jaw and shook her head numbly. "No...I can't go back," she whispered to herself. "This is the best way out for both of us. I'm meant to be alone. I don't have to be in her way anymore."

Her parents had left behind the family's vast fortune in her hands. She could move out and let Anna have the house. She'll drop out of college, get a small house away from here, and take care of herself. Somehow. But the more she thought of it, the more absurd it seemed. Elsa was far too ambitious to leave behind everything she worked hard for. And even if she did it to protect Anna, could she really find it in her heart to leave her little sister for good?

All she could do was let more tears fall, and let the sound of her crying drown out the confused despair of her thoughts.

* * *

"Elsa, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

Anna was beside herself with guilt.

She felt awful for venting such hurtful words at her big sister. She wished she could take it all back, forget about it and have her sister return. But she wasn't so naive to believe that such a childish thing could be possible. She had hurt Elsa. Now her big sister was gone. It was up to her to get Elsa back.

Anna pulled out her phone, which had been set to silent when she and Hans had fun with their little get-together. Her screen opened to a cascading stream of notifications: nine missed calls and three voicemails from Elsa. She didn't need to open them to hear what they said. They all bore the same frantic and frustrated message: Where are you? Why aren't you picking up? Anna, I need you.

Her heart sunk. 'Elsa needed me, and I failed her. What kind of sister am I?'

In an ironic, almost cruel twist of events, Anna realized that now she would be the one desperately calling for her sister, only to run into the likelihood of getting no response. Elsa was probably too upset and angry, maybe even beyond the point of ever forgiving her little sister.

Anna blinked away the tears in her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. 'Elsa's all alone out there...she could seriously get hurt. She could be in great danger. I'll bring her home, even if she'll never love me again...'

"What are you going to do now?" Hans's soft inquiry snapped Anna out of her thoughts.

"What am I gonna do...? Find my sister, of course." She looked away from him uncomfortably. "I...I understand if you don't want to help me. It's not your problem."

"No, I'll help you find Elsa," Hans insisted. "I can't just sit back from this. Your sister could be in danger, and she needs us."

His valiant tone made Anna look to him with gratitude. "Thanks a lot, Hans. You're a great guy."

He tried to console her with a brief embrace, then pulled back and said, "Excuse me for a moment; I have to let my family know it's an emergency." He stepped back to make a call on his phone.

Anna took this as a time to be prepared. She rushed into her messy room to dig out a scarf and a pair of gloves to wear. It was still autumn, but considering the nature of Elsa's powers, Anna wanted to be safe rather than sorry when dealing with an unexpected change in weather. When she stepped back into the living room, Hans had finished his call and Kristoff and Sven still waited by the kitchen.

Upon seeing the latter two, she mumbled, "Oh, right. I need to pay you."

Kristoff muttered his thanks as she handed him the cash. He wanted to get out of here while he still could. But as he cracked open the front door of Anna and Elsa's house, he peeked outside and quickly ducked back with wide eyes.

"Um, you guys might want to take a look at this..."

Anna, Hans, and Sven joined him at the door. They gawked. The driveway and the entire street, as far as any of them could see, was completely covered in ice. It covered lawns of grass and poles of streetlights too. They would've taken the scene for a charming winter wonderland, if it weren't for the grim situation and the "winter" that had come too early.

"I guess this gets rid of my theory," Anna said with a sigh. "There was ice trailing after Elsa as she left. I figured we could just follow her ice trail and find her that way. But it seems that it's not an option now."

"I'll say. The ice has spread everywhere." Hans exchanged a look of concern with Anna. "Do you think this will be big enough for the news?"

"I hope not," she said with dread mounting within her.

Kristoff tried to squeeze past the couple and head for his iced over car parked in the driveway. A loud, braying grunt from Sven made him stop and groan.

"What can we possibly do, Sven? It's none of our business, and it's not our problem. I don't want to get dragged into something that has nothing to do with us. Besides, I have to get back. I don't want to get fired." But his younger brother would not relent. He stepped forward to tug at Kristoff's sleeve to keep him from leaving. Kristoff grimaced at the mixed disapproval and puppy-dog look in Sven's wide eyes. He looked to Anna, who remained at the door and stared down the ice-slicked street with overwhelming worry and sorrow. Seeing her so sad made his heart twinge with guilt despite himself. Then he heaved a big sigh.

"Sometimes I hate it when you're right," he muttered. Sven's face brightened at this. Kristoff turned around and trudged back to the porch. He directly faced Anna and declared, "We saw it all happen, so Sven and I might as well help. Count us in."

The gloom on Anna's face broke into a bright show of gratitude. "R-really? You're serious? Thank you so much! We need all the help we can get."

Kristoff sighed as he called his manager. "I'm gonna be in so much trouble..." Half a minute later of angry words exchanged over the phone, he rolled his eyes and hung up. "Look who just got the pink slip."

Anna was completely taken aback. "Y-you got fired? Only because you wanted to help us?" She looked away in shame. "It's all my fault...I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "I didn't like my job, anyway. The pay sucks and my manager's an ass. I can always find another one. Anyways, back to the more important matter at hand: where could your sister have gone?"

Anna chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to think. "W-well, considering she's in a wheelchair, Elsa couldn't have gone far."

"I wouldn't bet on that. She seemed to be going pretty fast with ice under her wheels."

"Let's call 911 and start a police search," Hans suggested.

Anna shook her head. "I don't want this to blow up into something huge."

"We'll find Elsa faster that way."

"I don't want her getting into trouble for running away," Anna insisted. "I don't know all the details, but I know there are legal consequences for what she did. If we involve the police and let them handle this, it'd be huge damage to her psyche...she's already been physically and emotionally traumatized as it is. We'll find Elsa and bring her back ourselves." Her voice lowered to a sad whisper. "I just hope she can forgive me."

To her surprise, it wasn't Hans who replied, but Kristoff. "Sure she'll forgive you."

"You really think so...?"

"You're sisters. Sure, siblings fight a lot. I'd know that." At this, he playfully nudged Sven's arm. "Sometimes this big guy right here drives me crazy, and I explode. I lose it, I get angry, I say stuff I'd come to regret. But Sven always has the heart to forgive me, even if I feel like I don't deserve it. In the end, things always work out somehow. We forgive and forget, no matter how bad the problem is from the start. It's weird, but that's life. That's just how it works."

Hans looked away as Kristoff said this. Anna seemed almost impressed at the former pizza delivery man. "Wow, that's the most I've ever heard you speak. No offense."

"None taken."

Feeling a bit better, Anna looked between Hans and Kristoff. "So, what's our plan? Should we split up or stick together in our search?"

"I think we should stick together," Hans replied with firm assertion. "We should narrow our options and search only the most likely places where Elsa could be, rather than spread ourselves thin and risk losing communication with each other."

Kristoff didn't look particularly happy about this, but Anna nodded. "Sounds like a good plan."

Hans stroked his long chin thoughtfully. "Is there anywhere in the city she would flee to? A favorite store or coffee shop, perhaps?"

Anna frowned and shook her head. "I don't think so. She likes to be in places away from people, where she could be alone..."

"Like the park or the woods?" Kristoff suggested.

"Come to think of it, that seems likely." Anna eyed them with resolution. "Okay, then. We'll start off with the nearest park."

* * *

Like a pianist lifting and pressing his feet at the foot pedal, Jack's feet touched and left the ground in gentle bounds as he followed Elsa's trail through the woods. He frowned as he ventured further in, with only a soft blue glow from his staff lighting the way for him. The night air was still as it was dark. Not even an owl or bats could be heard. Jack focused only on the ice trail, intent on finding Elsa and hopefully figure out what was going on.

Finally a soft, muffled sound meters away made his ears prick. The sound of someone crying. At this hour and given the circumstances, it couldn't be anyone else but Elsa. Jack flew forward and ducked behind cover. He didn't want to startle her. Leaning carefully against obstructing tree branches, Jack peered down.

He had seen her physically hurt before. Seeing her emotionally hurt now made his heart ache all the same. She looked so miserable and alone, slumped in her chair and fallen tears wet on her lovely face. Running away with the wind against her had freed her hair from the tight braid he always used to see her wear until now. Jack wanted to know why she was so upset. More than anything he wanted to shed away her pain. Obviously she was here to get away from everyone and everything, but no way in hell he'd turn his back on her now.

Done with simply watching and doing nothing, Jack quietly stepped into plain sight, illuminated by the pale blue glow emanating from both his staff and her ice.

"Elsa, are you okay? What's the matter?"

She dropped her hands from her face and gasped. "Jack? Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Well, I saw you down the road and-"

"You saw me? All of it?" A cold wave of panic flooded her. She drew both clenched hands to her chest. "You have to go. Leave me."

He shook his head, his eyes darkened from concern. "Elsa, I can't leave you alone like this."

Dread filled her as he stepped closer. "What are you doing? Stay away! I...I don't want to hurt you!"

"You won't."

"How do you know?" she cried. Ice bred from her emotional tumult burst from her body before she could stop herself.

He didn't have time to throw up his sketchbook or staff as a shield. The bolt of ice shot him straight through the chest. He staggered back, as if inflicted by a fatal wound. She gasped in horror and tears welled in her eyes. A strangled sob escaped her.

"Jack, no-!" 'I'm horrible...I'm a horrible person...what have I done?'

He looked down at his chest, where he could see the dark blue fabric of his hoodie once more. Her ice had faded, leaving him unharmed. He lifted his eyes back to her and tried to console her with a gentle smile. "Don't cry, Elsa. Everything's going to be okay."

To her utter astonishment, Jack returned her horrified gaze with eyes that bore no pain, disgust or fear. He closed the distance between them with slow steps, knelt down, and took her pale, trembling hands into his.

"It'll be okay, Elsa," he said again.

"H-how are you still...? I could have really hurt you!" She trembled before this young man she thought she knew. Her lips barely moved as her whisper almost lost itself in the wind. "Wh-what are you, Jack?"

He gave her a soft, disarming smile. "It's kind of crazy, but you've got to believe me. I am a Guardian."

* * *

"Oh, she is? Excellent. I will be there soon."

Pitch chuckled as he hung up. His class assignments completely forgotten, he spun in his chair to toss his phone onto the bed and let out a triumphant laugh. A cruel smirk etched its way up his cheeks. He would have to reward his cousin Hans generously for all of his hard work.

"Just ran away, now likely alone in the woods? That stupid invalid has doomed herself. There couldn't be a better time and place to steal her power for my own."

He sent his Nightmares dispersing throughout Philadelphia. When any one of them managed to find Elsa, he'd close in on her himself. Like a nimble predator closing in on its crippled, frightened, helpless prey.


	7. The Snow Queen and The Guardian of Fun

**I apologize for taking eons to update. I had been busy studying abroad at University of Oxford in England for a couple of weeks. Now I'm back in the States.**

**kenziesplash: Here's my present to you, as you've requested. I apologize for taking so long with this. Happy belated birthday!**

* * *

**Broken and Beloved (7)**  
**The Snow Queen and The Guardian of Fun**

Elsa stared at Jack in awe. "You...you're a Guardian...?"

She had so many questions for him; she didn't know where to start. Either he must have read her mind or noticed her failure to muster any words, because he cracked a crooked grin and said, "Long story, I know..."

"You say that as if I won't believe you." A small smile lightened the worry that had clouded her features. "I get frequently harassed by horses made of black sand, a man who creates said horses purely for my misery, and I've had the power to control ice and snow since birth. I'd believe anything, Jack."

"That's great," he found himself saying. Then he quickly corrected himself: "Well, not the part about Pitch being an ass and attacking you. I meant you believing in anything. Faith is something truly powerful. It's what keeps me and my friends alive, in a sense."

"Your friends? You mean...there's more of you?"

The corner of his mouth twitched upward in a sheepish crooked grin. "Whoops. I said too much."

Her eyes widened. "Tooth, North, Sandy and Bunny...they're Guardians too?" Her awe grew as she put the puzzle pieces together in her mind. Elsa thought of the art they had shared with her back in their classroom. The things they drew, their purpose for creating such art...it all made sense to her now. A wide smile spread across her face at the revelation. "The Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, Sandman, and the Easter Bunny...They're all real."

"Mindblowing, huh?"

"To say the least."

Jack chuckled. "I gotta admit that it's a lot to take in."

Elsa sighed and looked away. "Speaking of taking things in...are you going to take me back?"

To his curiosity, she asked with reluctance, as if she didn't want to. He couldn't blame her; she had been through a lot tonight.

"If you want time to yourself here, I respect that," he replied.

She smiled as gratitude for him soared in her chest. "Thank you, Jack. I'm so glad I finally have someone to talk to and confide with. Well, I've always had Anna, but there are some things even she can't understand. I used to think I was alone in my struggle to conceal and don't feel."

Jack frowned. "Conceal and don't feel? Where ever did you get that from?"

"From my parents." Elsa lowered her wistful gaze to the palms of her hands. "They were the first to be aware of my unusual powers. They were afraid with what I could do with them...or what other people would do if they saw. They taught me to hide it at all costs, that I must never be seen using them in front of anyone. Not even Anna. It's a big part of why I had been homeschooled until college."

"That's awful," Jack murmured.

Elsa frowned and even felt a little indignant on her deceased parents' behalf. "My mother and father were loving and kind. They did it to protect me and my little sister."

"Yes, I'm sure...But it hasn't really worked out, has it?"

Elsa opened her mouth to protest, but didn't answer.

Jack reached out to touch her hand. The coolness between them was something they shared and didn't mind at all. "Your powers shouldn't be something to fear," he said softly. "It's a gift, not a curse. It's beautiful, and a part of who you are. If you try to suppress that, it's no different than trying to snuff out the spark of life in you."

Elsa blinked in surprise. "You really think it's important to me as who I am?"

"Definitely. Try to embrace it, not push it away. You have to let it go."

"Let it go..." she murmured.

Jack skipped back and spread his arms wide. "This is the perfect place to do that."

Elsa found herself at a loss. This was a huge change for her, going from fighting to conceal her powers right to being encouraged to unleash it. This was a change she welcomed, but one that would have to take time getting used to. She bit her lower lip and stared down at her hands with uncertainty. "I...I don't know where to start..."

"Try to think of something you've always wanted to do, but couldn't."

A smile slowly spread on her face as she remembered. "Well...when I was little, I always dreamed of being a princess who lived in a castle."

"A castle, great idea. Come on, architecture major, show me what you got!"

Elsa closed her eyes and tried to picture in her head a castle built entirely of her ice. The workings of her imagination became reality at the wave of her hands, as ice flew and flurried all around her and Jack. He took several slow steps back and marveled at the sight. Icy floors grew and emanated from a central snowflake, pulsating and folding before his eyes like a kaleidoscope. The pillars grew taller until they finally tapered into a steeple just as tall as the surrounding trees.

Jack's mouth hung open, and it quickly became a wide smile. He tucked his staff into his armpit to make a slow clap with both of his hands. "Wow, Elsa...you've really outdone yourself."

Elsa stared up at her creation, her pale face flushed with joy and pride.

He then bowed low to her in a flourish. "Allow me to kindly escort her royal majesty to her lovely ice castle."

Elsa managed to tip her upper body forward a bit to return his bow. "You may, good sir."

Jack gripped the handles of her wheelchair and let his feet lift from the air before gently pushing her forward. He picked up speed as he flew up the spiraling slope, making Elsa tense up at first, but soon she freed her hands from the armrests and laughed as they went up together.

When they stopped at the top floor just below the spire, Elsa felt lightheaded yet elated. "Wow, I never thought I'd be out of breath when I can't even walk."

"It's because you were laughing so much. Don't get me wrong, your laugh sounds beautiful."

Looking up, Jack marveled at the stunning ice chandelier suspended from above. As an incorrigible prankster and fun-loving Guardian, Jack had a penchant of leaving his icy mark wherever he went. But Elsa's castle was so beautiful that he refrained from such a habit and left it untouched. He thought it'd be quite rude to infringe on the beauty of her work of art.

He let go of her wheelchair and flitted forward to face her. He rubbed his chin as he surveyed her thoughtfully. "Elsa the Snow Queen...now it looks like you need proper attire to match your lofty title."

She looked down at her dress. "You don't like what I'm wearing?"

"I didn't mean it like that...it just needs more flair. Like a prom dress."

Elsa chuckled. "I was homeschooled. I've never been to prom."

"Now is your chance to experience it, more or less." Jack turned around and kept his eyes to the icy wall. "Don't worry, I won't look. Do feel free to ice me right in the butt if I peek."

Elsa chuckled. She pulled at the baby blue ribbons keeping her hair together. Her braid fell gently down her left shoulder and her bangs brushed the sides of her head. She pulled her bangs back and out of the way, leaving a tiny fringe to hang over her forehead. Just as she had done with her castle, Elsa closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself donning a dress that she had never worn, but would still look as if it was very much hers. With a smooth wave of her hand, she replaced her old dress with one made of her own sparkling ice. Though she wasn't cold, she shivered a little out of excitement. Until now, she had never worn something that exposed her shoulders. She had always admired off-shoulder gowns from afar, but thought it too daring to try one for herself. Now Jack's encouragement invoked her inner desire for boldness and liberation.

"Okay...what do you think?"

Jack's eyes opened, and his mouth soon followed. Elsa looked nothing short of absolutely stunning. What she wore had to be the most creative and gorgeous gown he had ever laid eyes on. She appeared ethereal, like the various women of mystery and magic from fairy tales, emanating an almost unreal beauty beyond this world. His reaction of utter speechless shock made her blush.

"You...like it...?"

It took him a few seconds to gather himself. "Like it? I...I love it! Elsa, you're perfect. You're so beautiful."

Being the object of such genuine adoration gave Elsa the greatest happiness like never before. The way he looked at her, was as if he didn't see a young woman cursed to stay in a wheelchair, but a young woman blessed with beauty, talent, and a pure heart. Her legs, broken and useless in the eyes of many, only looked pale yet lovely in his.

Suddenly Jack remembered he had brought his sketchbook with him. He fumbled for it and almost clumsily leafed for the newest page as he was unable to tear away his gaze from her. He pulled a pencil from the pocket of his hoodie.

Elsa tilted her head curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Drawing something I've been wanting to capture for a while. This is great! Now I can finish my newest piece."

"I'm in one of your artwork?"

Jack stopped in the middle of drawing the construction circle for the head and met her surprised eyes sheepishly. "Well, yeah. I thought you'd make a great subject for my winter landscapes. Um...you don't mind, do you?"

She shook her head and smiled. "I am honored to be part of your work. Do you want me to do a particular pose, or...?"

"No, you're perfectly fine the way you are." Jack's hand and pencil flitted all over the page as he tried to create a sketch of her likeness. He spent the most time on her new hairstyle. It was difficult to draw, but very rewarding once he finished. Since he didn't bring any colored medium with him, he relied on his color theory knowledge to jot down the names of the colors Elsa wore.

As she sat there, Elsa didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable or violated as Jack studied her with the eyes of an artist. His gaze was studied and shrewd, dedicated to getting every feature and line right on his page. It was almost flattering for her to get this much attention.

After some time, Jack nodded with finality and closed his sketchbook. "Okay, I'm done. Thanks a lot, Elsa."

Her curiosity got the better of her. "May I see what you drew?"

He wiggled a finger at Elsa. "Sorry, not yet. This is only reference for the piece I have in-progress back at school. I'll show _that_ to you when I'm through with it."

She leaned back in her chair and grinned. "All right, then. I look forward to seeing your work once it's done." She wheeled forward to join Jack at the balcony, overlooking the stretch of woods illuminated by the pale light given off by the ice of her castle.

"Beautiful view," she remarked.

'But nowhere as beautiful as you,' Jack almost said aloud. He held aloft his staff in an imperious gesture, as if he wielded a scepter. "It's great, isn't it? I'm the Ice King, and you're the Snow Queen."

"What are you implying, Jack Frost?"

Jack realized what he had said and her light tease made his cheeks warm. He hid the redness of his face by gesturing beyond the balcony with a grand sweep of his arms. "You and me, just the two of us, ruling together over this little kingdom we made."

A sad, wistful smile lingered on Elsa's face. "I wish, but it can't be this way forever."

"I know...but what's the harm in having a little fun?"

"Well, it's not good if we don't know when to stop. But Jack...it's been a long time since I've ever felt this happy. Thank you so much."

"Hey, it's what I do best. I'm the Guardian of Fun, after all."

"Did you choose to be a Guardian?"

He shook his head and turned his eyes to the night sky. "The Man in the Moon chose me. He chose me and my friends to safeguard the innocence and faith of children around the world. It's our sacred duty, until the day we pass on."

"Pass on? So you're not immortal?"

"That's right. We're supernatural, but we can't live forever. When I die, like the Jack Frost before me, the Man in the Moon will choose someone else to take up my name and duty. The cycle continues until..." then he shrugged. "whenever the world stops spinning, I guess. Until whenever children don't need Guardians anymore, which I doubt will happen. They'll always need us, I think." He broke the somber mood with a bright smile. "I hope to live a long life while I can. I love my job."

Elsa returned his smile, then followed his gaze to stare thoughtfully at the moon. "What was your birth name, if you were given the name Jack Frost by the moon?"

"My real name is Jackson Overland." A shadow darkened his face for a fleeting second. "My father gave me my first name, but I prefer not to use it anymore." He seemed to be relieved to avoid dwelling on that particular subject. "The Man in the Moon came to me in a dream when I was very little...that's how I knew about my true calling in this world. My friends can't reveal their Guardian forms so easily, especially Bunny, but I get away with it." He gestured to his snow-white hair. "This isn't bleach, in case you didn't know. Other than refraining from flying around and shooting ice in plain sight, I'm free to be myself. That's why I was nicknamed Jack Frost in school; it stuck, and I didn't complain."

"What about Pitch? Is he a Guardian?"

Jack opened his mouth to reply when a dark voice cut him off.

"You called?"

Elsa gasped and stiffened in fear.

Black sand materialized and swirled in the air before them. Like a sinister silhouette with a life of its own, Pitch appeared and leered at the two. Sarcastic acidity dripped from his voice. "All this smiling and laughing between you two is so contagious...I might just catch the bug and _throw up_."

For an instant, Elsa regretted building her ice castle. What else could have lured Pitch here? Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the armrests. She said nothing out of paralyzed fright that gripped her body.

Jack leaped in front of her and brandished his staff with a fierce glare. "Pitch Black! What the hell are you doing here?"

Pitch's mock frown made his long face look even longer. "Aww, I'm hurt that you didn't invite me to your little princess party. Oh, well. I'm not one for attending parties. I prefer ruining them." His Nightmares appeared in menacing black streaks and pawed at the air, surrounding Elsa and Jack and preventing them from any means of escape. Elsa pressed her back against the chair, her breaths quick and shallow as her eyes darted between Pitch and his Nightmares.

"Stay with me, Elsa. I'll protect you," Jack murmured.

He gripped his staff tighter and braced himself for a mass incoming charge from the Nightmares. What he didn't expect was Pitch fashioning a bow and arrow of hardened black sand. Jack shot a wave of ice to protect Elsa, but Pitch didn't have his sights on her. The Nightmare King took aim below and fired. The arrow of black sand struck the castle's base with a resounding crack.

Tendrils of black sand overtook the pale blue ice faster than either Jack or Elsa could comprehend. The ice castle fell apart and shattered like brittle bone, taking Jack and Elsa with it as the giant black hole the arrow created sucked them in with unrelenting force.

Jack and Elsa plummeted into the dark abyss. Jack surged forward and tried to fly Elsa out, but ice shards rained down on them like cold daggers. One struck Jack at the back of his head, drawing blood and making him yelp in pain. They let out a terrified cry and fell together, never letting go of each other.

* * *

**Because of the circumstances of a modern AU, I had to change the Guardian lore a bit. (Or maybe a lot. I dunno.) Anyways, thanks for being patient with me and supporting this fic so far. Reviews, favorites, and follows are very much appreciated, more so than likes on my Facebook news feed or notes on my Tumblr. ;)**


	8. Heart of Darkness

**Broken and Beloved (8)  
****Heart of Darkness**

Bunny scowled and his green eyes narrowed in irration. "Where the bloody hell is Jack? He's late for our weekly round of Cards Against Humanity."

The Guardians, minus Jack, sat at a round checkered table in their favorite board game cafe. They had ordered drinks to kill time after perusing through the card deck to snicker at the raunchy ones. Rounds of Cards Against Humanity often involved filling the cafe with explosive laughter, with Bunny and Jack often winning the most white cards. But since Jack wasn't around, the Guardians merely sat there waiting. North ponderingly sipped at his second cup of chocolate milkshake. The last bits of ice swirled and clinked against the glass under the mercy of Bunny's straw.

Tooth propped her chin on the palm of her hand and scrunched her eyes shut. "Bunny, please stop that. The noise is giving me a headache."

Bunny let go of his straw and plopped against the back of his chair with a loud impatient huff. "Someone call him again."

Tooth shook her head. "I've already tried to reach Jack five times. The call always goes straight to his voicemail."

"Unless if he's in phone service wasteland, there's no bloomin' excuse for him to keep us waiting."

North frowned, his bushy black eyebrows knitted together as he stroked his long white beard. "Strange...Jack always answers his phone. Something important holding him up, perhaps?"

Bunny snorted in derision. "What could possibly be more important than us? Than _me_, his best friend?"

Tooth sneaked a pointed sly glance at the Aussie. "Oh, I dunno...Elsa, perhaps?"

Bunny's mouth parted to make an intrigued little "o." "He's going out on a date with her, then?" Then he crossed his tattooed arms and sulked. "He should have told us!"

North didn't look like being in the mood to joke around. "I don't think that's it," he admitted. "Jack would have let us in on something important like that."

"Maybe it's Guardian business," Tooth suggested.

Bunny frowned. "At this time of year? It's too early for the Guardian of Fun to go flying an' cavorting in winter snow."

While the Guardians debated amongst themselves over the cause and reasoning behind Jack's absence, Sandy took no part in it and remained quiet, as always. The faculties of reason and logic had no place in his mind as the Guardian of Dreams let intuition, instinct, and a supernatural outreach guide him in his search for an answer. Finally he sat up straighter in his seat with alarm as he realized where Jack could be. Sandy tried to be polite and gently rapped on the table, but he failed to get his friends' attention.

"I still got a gut feeling that it's got to do with Elsa," Tooth asserted.

"I don't think so," Bunny countered. "Maybe he just got tired, went back to the dorm to hit the bed and forgot to call, for all we know."

"We won't get anywhere sitting here and making guesses," North said. He spared a worried glance outside the cafe window. "Let's call off our game session and look for Jack."

"Sure, but where do we start?" Bunny asked.

Sandy had enough. He grabbed a handful of black cards and threw them at his fellow Guardians, effectively cutting them off before they could argue further. They sat stunned and perplexed. North had the "white privilege" card stuck in his beard. Tooth had "a robust Mongoloid" card on her shoulder. Bunny looked particularly unflattering with "the biggest, blackest dick" card slanted on the bridge of his nose, right between his eyes.

North was the first to sheepishly break the shocked silence. "Erm...you wanted to say something, Sandy?"

The stout, golden-haired Guardian bore an expression of mixed relief and exasperation at finally being noticed. He shifted his eyes back and forth, then beckoned his friends to come outside. They put away Cards Against Humanity and left the board game cafe, following Sandy to darkened cover where no one could see them.

When Sandy was sure of this, he conjured small images made of golden sand. North had no trouble interpreting the visual cues.

"You know where Jack is? Are you sure, my friend?"

Sandy vigorously nodded. His expression darkened as he produced the next few images. The menacing, looming silhouette was unmistakable.

"Pitch Black?" Tooth whispered.

Sandy nodded again. Tiny grainy trees appeared next, only to collapse and swirl into a sandy whirlpool.

North narrowed his eyes. "Jack was in the forest...and Pitch had him trapped there?"

"But why would Jack be in the woods in the first place?" Bunny asked.

"Let's go," Tooth urged her friends. "We don't have time to ask why-"

Sandy held up his hands to get their attention once more. He laid out his palms to say he was unsure, then an image of Elsa appeared before them.

"That makes sense!" Bunny exclaimed. "Jack and Elsa are together, and they're in trouble."

There wasn't a moment to lose. The Guardians dashed off, and under the cover of darkness, changed into their Guardian forms. Like wraiths, they streaked into the woods before anyone could notice.

* * *

The unending torrent of black sand proved stronger than the grip Elsa and Jack struggled to hold. Elsa felt her fingers slip. She tried to tighten her fist, but the sand wrenched her away from Jack. He despaired as Elsa cried out his name.

"Elsa! No!"

Jack thrust out his outstretched hand, only to grasp more black sand that constricted and crushed his body. He felt himself being mercilessly tossed and tumbled, and lost all sense of direction. He scrunched his eyes and mouth shut to keep the sand from getting to him.

'Is there any end to this?'

No sooner had he thought that, he landed with a sudden thud that knocked the wind out of him. Sand poured on him in a black mound, and just when he feared that the sheer weight would crush him to a pulp, it eventually thinned out to a trickle. Jack twitched and gritted his teeth. He still couldn't see anything. With one free arm he groped about blindly in the dark, feeling for his shepherd's staff. To his great relief it was an armlength from him. Jack gripped the staff upright and slammed its base into what he thought was the floor. The burst of white dispelled the sand, freeing him from its clutches. Jack coughed, staggered to his feet, and wiped the remnants of black sand that clung to his hoodie. He cupped a hand around his mouth and called out.

"Elsa? Elsa! Can you hear me? Where are you?"

His lone voice quickly got lost in the dark void. In return, he got no answer. Instead he came upon someone he didn't expect at all. His mouth dropped open.

"Jamie Beckett...?"

The brown-haired boy of ten years stood a few feet before him, clothed in winter apparel and with a snowball in hand. He smiled, so that Jack saw the result of the freak sled accident he caused: a gap in his teeth.

Mixed fondness and worry for the boy swelled within Jack. The Guardian stepped forward and offered his hand. "Hey buddy, you shouldn't be here. It's danger-"

"Snowball fight!" Jamie shouted.

Jack put up his hands. "I love a good fight, but now isn't a good time-"

Jamie charged with the snowball cocked in his arm, ready to fling. Jack braced himself for the hit. To his complete horror, the boy ran right through the Guardian's body. Jamie vanished out of sight, but Jack could hear his voice calling faintly from behind.

"Gotcha! Try to get me, Sophie!"

There was more laughing, then it came closer as Jamie ran towards Jack again. And once again, the boy ran straight through, as if Jack wasn't real.

Cold fear and shock seized Jack's body. 'What's going on? Why is this happening? How can Jamie be here and not see me?' The staff fell away from his hand as he stumbled back and clutched both hands to his head. 'Is this an illusion? Am I an illusion too? What if none of this is real...?'

Jack gritted his teeth and his squinted glare flitted across the dark. 'I know Jamie...he'd never act like this. If there's only one kid in the whole world who'd still believe in me, it's him.' Jack furiously shook his head and berated himself. 'Get it together, Jack! This is just some trap by Pitch to mess with your head. Jamie's probably back in Burgess, safe and sound with his family. It's Elsa who's stuck with me...'

Suddenly, and with a pang of shame that he had forgotten, Jack remembered. 'Elsa! I gotta find her!'

Jack picked up his staff and held it aloft. Soft white light glowed from the curved tip. He didn't know front from behind, north or south, east or west. He had no idea how deep and far this darkness persisted. All he had was the tiny halo of light and his own instincts to spur him forward. He left behind the pain and fear of rejection. Instead he relied on thoughts of Elsa to bolster his low spirits.

'I don't know how I'll do it, or where she is, but I promise on my life and honor as a Guardian that I'll find her.'

With that resolution, Jack pressed on through the stifling darkness.

* * *

"Jack? Jack!"

Elsa's heart fluttered wildly with panic. Total darkness surrounded and pressed on her with tyrannical force. She couldn't even see the sparkling brightness of her ice gown. She shuddered as she felt black sand clinging to her body. At least it had the decency to cushion her fall. Somewhere along the way she had lost her wheelchair, and she felt desperately helpless without it. She had to make do with her arms and hands to crawl away from the sand. Dragging her half useless body across, Elsa still couldn't see a thing.

Her heart pounded so wildly that she felt it throb at her throat. Choking her, suffocating her. Elsa shut her eyes and a small frightened sound escaped her trembling lips.

'Where am I? Where's Jack?'

She pulled herself up into a sitting position the best she could. She looked wildly around her, hoping and praying for anything but the darkness. For a one terrifying moment she thought she was blind.

Then something strange unfolded before and all around her. Blurred lights streaked past her peripheral vision. Elsa blinked in confusion. It took her a few seconds to realize that they were lights from the shops and stores at night, as if she were in a driven car. Then Elsa gasped. She was in a car! She felt the tug of the seat belt strapped across her chest, the softness of the leather seat behind her. She dared to turn her head, and her breath hitched in her throat. Anna sat right next to her.

Elsa was dumbfounded. 'Anna? But how...?'

Yet there she was, her little sister smiling to herself and bobbing her head to some unheard beat in her mind.

For some reason, Elsa let her get lost in her own little world and kept silent. She turned her head to the front and gasped.

Her father sat behind the wheel, with her mother in the passenger seat. She caught glimpses of their profiles as their voices rose over the classical music playing from the radio, exchanging small talk and soft laughs. Tears pricked at the back of Elsa's eyes and she fought back a sob. She hadn't seen her parents in three years. Seeing them again, alive and happy, made her want to throw herself forward into their arms.

Even in the seat, Elsa felt the car drive over an old road riddled with potholes. Wait, _felt_? How was that even possible? Elsa dared to look down and willed herself to jerk her right leg. To her utter astonishment, it moved. Everything worked. Nothing impeded the smooth transition from will into action. Her brain turned her desire to move into electrochemical signals... firing through the synapses, down to her spinal cord, past the efferent neurons, and finally to the muscle filaments of her leg. It was mysterious and complex and wonderful. Elsa couldn't help marvel at how she flexed her ankle, each movement strange yet familiar, small yet powerful. The sensations elicited a thrill within her. She bent her knee next, though she overestimated her distance and the top of her foot struck the bottom of her father's seat.

She winced at the pain, then she smiled even at that.

'I...I have legs again? Legs that work? Is this for real?' Elsa looked around, her heart aching with longing. That longing turned into fresh pain as she slowly became aware of the reality she faced, not the dreamlike illusion that surrounded her.

'That's right. The wedding...we were on our way to a wedding. Then this is...'

Looking past her father's seat and the windshield, Elsa saw the headlights of an incoming car. She cried out in warning. Too late.

The first thing she did was the last thing her working legs had ever done: she threw herself across Anna to shield her from the impact. An explosion of shattered glass and screeching metal pierced her ears. The car, the music, her parents, all gone in a violent flash. What Elsa saw next was her own torso drenched in dark red blood. It spread from her broken body in a thick pool. Anna clutched her older sister's bloodied body close to her own, screaming and crying even over the wailing sirens of police cars and ambulances.

Elsa felt sick dread grip her stomach. 'No...not again. Not again...'

This time she couldn't move at all. She didn't know if it was from the crippling fear, her crippled legs, or both. All she could do was stare in horror at her legs: twisted before her at unnatural angles, skin in some places torn open, the white of bone glinting underneath. Hot tears ran down her cheeks marred by dirt and scratches. Elsa wanted to hurl, but she was too weak. All she could manage was choked sobs as the living nightmare enslaved her.

'Make it go away...please, someone save me!'

* * *

Jack's heart clenched at the sound of pained feminine screams.

"Elsa!" he gasped.

He charged forward, following the sounds of her cries of distress. He willed himself to slow down, lest he accidentally step on Elsa in his wild pursuit to locate her. He squinted into the darkness, pointing his staff in all directions. At last, several feet to his left, he found her.

Ensnared by malevolent tendrils of black sand, Elsa's sprawled body contorted in agony. Though Jack saw nothing wrong with her body, Elsa seemed to think otherwise. Her faraway tear-filled eyes told him that her mind was trapped elsewhere. He had to snap her out of it. He instantly ripped away at the sand strangling her and held her close to his chest.

"Elsa, it's me," he whispered. "It's Jack. I'm here now."

"It hurts," she sobbed. "So much blood...Mom, Dad, Anna...I don't want to remember it anymore!"

Jack clenched his jaw as he realized what was going on. 'She's remembering the day of the accident, the day she lost her parents and her legs...'

He ran his fingers through her hair. "You're having a nightmare, Elsa. It's not real." He whispered into his ear to gently hush her. "Shh...it's okay. Come back to me."

All he could do was hold Elsa and bear the pain with her until at long last, her sobbing subsided. Elsa blinked slowly, the fog clearing from her eyes. Her upward stare at Jack was void of comprehension for a moment. "Who...? Jack Frost?"

He smiled weakly at her. "Yeah, it's me. You and I are together now. The past is in the past."

It took Elsa several seconds to come to her senses. She fought to suppress her heavy breathing and last traces of her tears.

It hurt him to see her look so pained and miserable. He gritted his teeth. "I'll make that bastard Pitch pay for what he did to us."

"Y-you too...?"

Jack made a grim nod. "He toyed with us, exploiting our deepest fears to pry open old wounds."

Elsa shuddered at that. Jack rubbed her shoulder as he realized what he just said. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay. I owe you one for helping me." Elsa seemed greatly relieved at the sight of the light from Jack's staff. She looked around. "Where's my chair...?"

"I think we've lost it somewhere in this mess," Jack said with a sigh. He stared down at the helpless young woman in his arms. "I'm sorry Elsa, it's way out of our hands now. You'll have to stick with me."

"I'm fine with that. But I hope I won't be a big burden to you."

"You're no problem at all," he insisted.

As he carried Elsa, Jack positioned the staff in his outstretched hands so that its length ran parallel to Elsa's body.

She looked away and sighed. "I'm sorry for being so weak," she mumbled. "You snapped out of your illusion all on your own, but I needed you to help me."

"You don't have to apologize," he said gently. "And you're not weak. You're actually one of the strongest people I know."

She looked up at him with mixed doubt and surprise. "You mean that?"

He smiled. The lack of confidence she had in herself was heartbreaking. If only she could see how much she inspired him. "I may fool around a lot, but I don't tell lies." His grin faded as he looked around him with the wariness of a cornered animal. "I'm not lying right now when I tell you I don't know where we are. And I wonder why Pitch hasn't sprung out to get us yet."

Elsa stiffened in his arms. "I don't know, but we better be on our guard."

"And we gotta find a way out of here," Jack added grimly.

* * *

In the melancholic gloom of the woods, Anna, Hans, Kristoff, and Sven carefully picked their way through the labyrinth of trees. They had picked up Elsa's lingering ice trail easily enough, and thanks to its pale light they were able to trek through the forest without falling flat on their faces from upturned roots and rocks. To Anna, she considered it an outright wonder that it hadn't happened to her at least a few times already.

Anna's ears pricked as a sharp sound broke the muted atmosphere. She flinched and snapped her head around. "Hey, did you hear that?" she hissed.

"It's just us behind you," Kristoff replied.

"No, it sounds like something moving fast. A lot of things moving fast, actually."

"I think hear it too," Hans said.

Anna felt her body tense and her heartbeat quicken as she listened closely for the suspicious sound. She spotted unusual silhouettes among the trees. Before she could react, they darted out of sight and ran right into her. Anna jumped back and gasped.

Tooth and Bunny, the forerunners, skidded to a halt. She clapped a hand to his mouth before he could shout. North and Sandy nearly bumped into them. The Guardians remained stock still, as if hoping that the girl they ran into took no more notice of them.

Anna's wide eyes remained riveted on them.

Tooth's wings fluttered even faster out of nervousness. She raised her hands with complacent deliberation, as if being put under arrest. "Uh..it's okay, nothing to see here. We're just...uh...looking for a friend of ours."

Anna quickly got over her shock (much to the Guardians' own great surprise). "Oh, really? Me too. Actually, I'm looking for my sister."

Tooth made a nervous laugh. "What a coincidence."

Kristoff frowned and tried to peer past Anna. "Who are you talking to? Where are those voices coming from?"

"Can't you see them? They're right in front of me." Anna took in his confused look that persisted, and eventually she understood. "You...can't, can you?"

"_I_ can see them," Hans slowly said. Sven too grunted in affirmation.

Kristoff's eyes darted among his companions, and he was genuinely perplexed. "What? You mean I'm the only one?"

"Looks like we got a disbeliever among us," Bunny muttered.

"Did you happen to see a white-haired guy on your way here?" Tooth asked with hope tinged in her voice.

Anna frowned and shook her head. "Sorry. I do know a guy who has white hair, but that's probably irrelevant right now."

"It might just be, young lady," North said, clearly intrigued. "Who is this acquaintance of yours?"

Anna waved it off. "Oh well, he's a friend of my sister. Jack Frost."

The Guardians collectively gasped at this.

"Hey, we're lookin' for Jack too!" Bunny exclaimed. "I mean, that's the very same guy we're talkin' about!"

Anna blinked. "Really? Whoa."

Kristoff looked thoroughly weirded out as he watched her animatedly talking to what he thought were invisible voices. "Anna, can we get a move on? This is really making me uncomfortable."

"I'm trying to carry a conversation here," she insisted. She turned back to the Guardians. "I'm looking for my sister Elsa. Do you happen to know her?"

"Yes, we do," Tooth replied. "Long story short, we came to know her through Jack." Then she looked uncomfortable and fidgeted her thumbs. Um...I don't know how to word this without freaking you out, but Elsa and Jack may be in danger. Our friend Sandy's got a lead, we think."

Anna's face was one of distraught. "Let's hurry, then. We can take care of introductions along the way."

Kristoff clapped a hand on her shoulder and pulled back a bit so that she faced him. "Wait wait wait. You're just gonna trust a bunch of invisible voices in hopes that somehow, someway, you find your sister and their imaginary friend?"

She shrugged out of his grip and put both hands on her hips. "Look, they know where they're going. I think it's best if we follow them. And they're not imaginary. They are just as real as you and me, though you don't seem to realize that. If you don't want to tag along anymore, I'm not holding it against you."

With that, Anna turned and followed the Guardians farther into the woods. Hans and Sven followed suit. Kristoff was left standing alone, bewildered and wondering what he had gotten himself into. He wasn't surprised that Sven was able to see what Anna saw, but he didn't expect it from Hans as well.

"God, this is so weird," he muttered. He went after them anyway.

* * *

**I couldn't resist slipping in that bit with Cards Against Humanity. My friends and I have enjoyed many a sleepless, hilarious night over that game. I could have been studying...no, I _should_ have been studying, instead of spending hours playing and giggling over terribly offensive cards.**

**Anyways, I hope the story's still good so far. At first I planned for it to span a whole bunch of chapters, but I might end it soon, mainly because there are other fics I want to get started on.**


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